XL Bully owner who had row with cyclist who said her dog Hulk was dangerous as she walked him without a lead insists he is ‘a big teddy bear’ who is ‘only interested in cuddles, love and his ball’

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The owner of an American Bully XL who had a row with a cyclist after he branded her off-the-lead pet ‘dangerous’ has insisted he wouldn’t hurt a fly. 

Amanda Holloway said her blood ‘boiled’ after am angry biker told her to ‘muzzle’  her one-year-old pet, Hulk, who was wearing a green vest with ‘friendly’ on it. 

Mother-of-three Ms Holloway filmed the encounter, in Bushy Park, Richmond, London, with the male cyclist later apologising and saying her dog ‘wasn’t dangerous’.

But the worried rider’s comments come amid fears over the Bully XL dogs, who have mauled adults and children to death in a series of bloody attacks across the UK.

The breed also is responsible for more than half of the fatal maulings in the UK. 

Speaking to MailOnline, Mrs Holloway said her dog was ‘a big teddy bear’ who was ‘more interested in cuddles and playing with his ball’ than attacking anyone – as she lashed out at the ‘unfair’ impending Bully ban, which is set to make the breed illegal. 

‘He is just a joy and loves cuddles. He’s a big teddy bear. He doesn’t run up to everybody. I will let people. He is a big ball of cuddles. All he wants is cuddles love and his ball,’ the 33-year-old stay-at-home mother said. 

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‘He a big teddy bear’: Hulk the Bully XL wearing his special ‘friendly’ vest 

Amanda Holloway said her blood ‘boiled’ after a biker told her to ‘muzzle’ her one-year-old pet

The male cyclist demanded to know why her 12-month-old pup was not muzzled 

‘In the right hands these dogs can be like any other breed a decent loving family pet. He is not a status symbol or here for protection.’

The incident comes weeks before American Bully XLs are set to be outlawed in the UK following a clampdown on the breed after a series of fatal attacks. 

From December 31 it will be an offence to have an American Bully XL in public without a lead or muzzle, as part of the Dangerous Dogs Act before it later becomes illegal to own one of the animals without an exemption.

Mrs Holloway, who has had Hulk since it was eight weeks old and practices recall and obedience training daily, said she was furious by the cyclist’s comments. 

‘It made my blood boil a little bit. I’ve had people give looks and take extra steps away and go into oncoming traffic to go into my dog. When this happened, I had enough,’ she added. 

‘If my dog had given him a reason to suggest muzzling him then that would have been a reasonable reaction. But he didn’t. Hulk was more interested in his ball.’

The clip, shared on Facebook, showed Hulk sitting on the path waiting for his ball to be thrown, as other other people and pets walk past him. Seconds later, a cyclist is heard saying: ‘That [dog] should have a muzzle on it.’

From December 31 it will be an offence to have an American Bully XL in public without a lead or muzzle (Hulk the Bully XL is pictured looking cheeky)

Mrs Holloway is pictured with her husband Sam Holloway (left) and their three children 

Amanda Holloway was walking her beloved 12-month-old pet Hulk – who was wearing a bright green jacket with ‘friendly’ on it – when she encountered the male cyclist

READ MORE: Moment proud owner of XL Bully wearing a bright green top with ‘Friendly’ on it confronts busybody cyclist who says her pet is a dangerous dog – and gets him to BACK DOWN

‘No he shouldn’t actually,’ says proud Bully XL owner Mrs Holloway, who is a stay-at-home mother. 

‘It’s the ‘powerful dogs act’, why shouldn’t it? ‘ retorts the cyclist, in reference to the Dangerous Dogs Act, which from December 31 will make it illegal to have an American Bully XL in public without a lead or muzzle. 

‘Because he is absolutely friendly and the law isn’t until December 31, so educate yourself,’ Mrs Holland replies. Speaking of the muzzle, she continues: ‘Why does he need one? He hasn’t attacked anyone in all his life.’

‘Yeah but it’s the powerful dogs act,’ the cyclist replies.

‘And I have complete control over him, absolute control. It’s the owner not the dog. So unless you own one, keep your opinions to yourself.’ she adds, as she turns back to her Hulk, who is waiting patiently by the park gate. 

Telling her pup to ‘sit’, she gloats: ‘Oh look, a ‘dangerous dog’ sitting and waiting for the gate to be opened. So dangerous, isn’t he?’

The cyclist then appears to backpedal, and concedes: ‘You’re right. I’m saying you’re a good owner.’ 

Hulk the Bully XL is ‘well trained’ his owner Mrs Holloway has insisted 

In the video, Hulk only appears to be interested in the ball carried by its owner 

Mrs Holloway says: ‘You’re saying I’m a good owner but then you told me I should muzzle him? Is he dangerous? Has he done anything?’

‘No he’s not dangerous, no. But what I mean is he is a powerful dog,’ the man replies.

Mrs Holloway then replies: ‘He is a powerful dog – there’s a lot of powerful dogs out there. And it’s the owners who have control over the dog. So maybe not mention anything when you see people.’

‘All right, sorry,’ the cyclist is heard saying as the woman walks away with her pet.’

Speaking about the cyclist’s reaction, Mrs Holloway said: ‘I think he listened, I really do. I think he took in what I was saying. 

‘The lady that was with him was trying to call Hulk over and pet him. But he ignored her. He is trained to ignore people unless I say to him he can go over.’

The footage comes just weeks before tightened laws about Bully XL dogs will come into force. 

From December 31, it will be against the law to sell, abandon, breed from or give away an American bully XL, or have one in public without a lead or muzzle. 

It will be illegal to own a bully XL in England and Wales from February 1.

Mrs Holloway insists her pet Bully XL is more interested in playing with his ball than biting anyone

Owners of American Bully XLs can apply to register their dogs for an exemption before the breed is banned, though. 

Dogs on the exempt list will also have to be neutered and microchipped. Those more than a year old on January 31 must be neutered by June 30, while those under 12 months old must be neutered by December 31, 2024.

The shift in the law follows a spate of fatal maulings across the UK linked to Bully XL-type dogs over the past couple of years. 

Mrs Holloway branded the ban ‘unfair’ and said: ‘If it’s one rule for one, it should be one rule for all. All dogs have the potential to turn and be aggressive. They all have that.’

She added: ‘I can see where some people are coming from, He is a big dog and can be intimidating. But so can men and some women.’

‘You can’t base things on what other people or dogs have done. It should be based on what your dog has done itself.’

She urged for a rethink on the rules and for a licence scheme to be introduced which would allow pet owners to prove their Bully XLs were well trained. 

‘There needs to be a licence and it should be funded from the owners’ pocket – we should pay for assessments to see if our dog is safe. And if they’re found to be non-aggressive, they should be allowed off the lead. But then have yearly re-assessments where they’re tested on recall,’ she added. 

‘I would happily pay for it if it meant I could keep him off-lead and allow him to chase his ball freely. That’s the one thing he really loves but won’t be able to do.’

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