'Aggressive' XL Bully on the loose in Sheffield after being shot at by police and escaping

Police have warned people to be 'vigilant' after an 'aggressive' went on the loose in Sheffield.

The became loose in the Hillfoot area near Upperthorpe in last night, and remained unaccounted for on Friday. It has evaded capture despite being shot by police. In a statement, said they "know that hearing about a dog on the loose can cause concern in our communities" and assured members of the public that they are "doing all we can to find the dog". Officers had attended the scene at 10.04pm last night after recieving reports of a gun being fired at a property, and were greeted by an "aggressive" XL Bully.

A shot was fired at the dog before it fled the scene. Police said it is "unknown" if the dog was injured.

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Members of the public have been urged not to approach the dog, and to contact police if they have any information on its whereabouts.

South Yorkshire Police's Chief Superintendent for Sheffield Jamie Henderson added: “I would like to assure you that we are doing all we can to locate the dog or find those who may have housed it to evade police contact.

“We appreciate people in our communities being vigilant, and I ask that you get in touch immediately if you see the dog. I urge you not to approach the dog, as we believe it has the ability to show aggression and cause harm.

“If you do see the dog, please call 999 immediately, if you have information about its whereabouts, please get in touch online, via live chat or by calling 101 quoting incident number 948 of 3 April 2025.”

Owning an XL Bully dog without a valid Certificate of Exemption became a criminal offence In England and Wales on February 1 last year. The deadline to apply for a Certificate of Exemption was July 31, 2024. The XL Bully breed was added to the Dangerous list following a string of deadly incidents, having been involved in at least 16 fatal attacks in the UK in 2023 alone.

What should I do if I'm attacked by an XL Bully?

Following the shocking mauling of a 84-year-old man in Warrington, who , the spoke with an expert who .

James Hare, a qualified dog trainer from PuppyandDog training, said: "Looking at ways to help yourself from any dog attack, not just an XL Bully, would include, remaining as calm as possible. This is difficult, of course it is, but it is essential.

"Do not run away from the dog, this will heighten the dog, its chase instinct will kick in and make things worse. You could slip, trip and fall.

"Do not make eye contact with the dog. Eye contact with your dog can be intimidating and can be perceived as threatening behaviour from us."