American XL Bully who is ‘friendly giant’ defended by boxer

Nicknamed ‘Kid Dynamite,’ Mark lives with his six-year-old daughter Poppy, and fiancée Rebecca at their home in Shaw.

The family share their home with two-year-old bully Tyson, as well as French bulldog Teddy, pet rabbit Elsa, and hamster Lucy.

Mark, who trains at Champs’ Camp in Manchester under the watchful eye of Joe Gallagher, called the planned banning of the breed ‘crazy’, saying that Tyson ‘doesn’t show one side of aggression.’

@theoldhamtimes Oldham pro boxer @markheffron123 has defended his #AmericanXLbully ♬ original sound - The Oldham Times

He added: “I don’t think it’s the dogs, it’s the owners that are bringing them up to be nasty, just like any other dog.

“If you bring it up to be nasty, it’s going to be nasty. But with them being a big dog and these horrible owners who are bringing them up to be nasty, when they do bite it’s a lot worse of a bite, isn’t it?”

Sign up to our newsletters to get the latest stories sent straight to your inbox

Mark described Tyson, who weighs in at 55kg (8.6 stone; 121 lbs), as a ‘big softie’, who listens to and obeys six-year-old daughter Poppy’s commands.

Poppy and Tyson (Image: Mark Heffron)

The 31-year-old boxer said: “My XL Bully just wants to cuddle you all the time. There will be the smallest little space on the couch, and he’s that dopey he’ll try and get into that little spot to try and get on the couch with you.

“He’s a big friendly giant, he’s so laid back and chilled, he loves kids. He just loves chilling out.

“He’s well-behaved, he’s really good off the lead, he stays right to the side of you. He’s a good listener, he even listens to my little girl.

“If she says ‘Tyson, get in the kitchen,’ he’ll go off into the kitchen.”

Poppy and Tyson (Image: Mark Heffron)

Mark is now worried as to what will become of Tyson if a ban does go into effect as planned.

He said: “I’m not 100 per cent sure yet, but what I’m hearing is you’d have to get it neutered, and when you’re outside you have to walk them with a muzzle on. I can’t understand why you’d have to walk him with a muzzle.

“Obviously if the dog’s nasty then yeah you should be putting a muzzle on it anyway, but he doesn’t bite, he’s not nasty.”

Fiancée Rebecca said she would like to invite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over to ‘spend some time with an XL Bully that’s been brought up in a nice environment’.

“And tell him to get the gloves out, we’re having it,” Mark joked.

Mark and Tyson (Image: Mark Heffron)

Rebecca also raised concerns about the effect if the family was made to muzzle Tyson.

Just weeks ago, two Labradors came over to snarl and bark at Tyson, leaving him feeling ‘scared to death’, she said.

She added: “Not that he did retaliate when that happened, he was scared to death, but if he did have a muzzle on I can only imagine how frightened he would feel.

“If my dog has to wear a muzzle and go on a lead, then every other dog should be on a lead also.

“A dog should not be able to approach my dog if he’s wearing a muzzle, because I don’t see that as fair.”

Rebecca said she wants PM Rishi Sunak to meet Tyson (Image: Mark Heffron)

Rebecca added that she trusts Tyson with her life, and that he wouldn’t be allowed to be around her daughter, Poppy, if she didn’t.

She worries Poppy would be scared if Tyson was made to wear a muzzle, adding: “She absolutely adores him. She’d be frightened, they do look scary with muzzles on.

“I just feel like it’s not safe for him to be wearing a muzzle out there. Other dogs don’t like him because he’s big.

“I was walking him yesterday and there was a little dog that walked past barking away at him, it must have felt intimidated because he was big.

“It was going crazy at him. He’s not allowed to walk around doing that, he walks around on his best behaviour, he doesn’t bat an eyelid. He’s so well-behaved, but all the little yappers, it’s alright for them to be aggressive.”

Mark and Rebecca added that they believe all dogs should be kept on leads.

Mark added: “That dog shouldn’t be off the lead if it’s nasty and biting people.”

Six-year-old Poppy 'adores' Tyson (Image: Mark Heffron)

The plans to ban the American XL Bully breed by the end of the year have come about after it emerged a man had died after being attacked by two dogs – suspected to be an XL Bully – in Staffordshire and following a video of another attack that went viral when an 11-year-old girl suffered serious injuries.

Owners of the dog will not see their pets culled but will likely face new restrictions – including a requirement to have the dogs neutered.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman supported the announcement, saying she expected police to “use all available powers to protect the public from these beasts” before a ban is formally introduced.

Mr Sunak said he had ordered ministers to bring together police and experts to define the breed of dog behind these attacks so they can then be outlawed.

In a video posted on social media, the Conservative Party leader said: “We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year.

“These dogs are dangerous, I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe.”

Poppy and Tyson (Image: Mark Heffron)

Bully Watch, the Campaign for Evidence Based Regulation of Dangerous Dogs (CEBRDD) and Protect Our Pets claimed the XL bully breed was a “a clear and present threat to public health”.

The RSPCA has said it is ‘incredibly disappointed’ in the plan to add the XL Bully to the list of banned dogs – joining the pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro

The organisation has called for an end to ‘breed-specific legislation’.

In a press release, the organisation added: “We believe focussing on the type of dog, rather than their individual actions, is a flawed and failing approach.

“Dog aggression is highly complex, and taking a breed-focused approach is fundamentally flawed.”