John Toner
Today at 07:00
The distraught dog owner whose XL bully was shot dead by the PSNI after it mauled her has said she still loves the breed.
Ashton Gillespie (27) was bitten repeatedly on the hand and leg by seven-year-old Tommy after it savaged her partner Ryan Lewis.
Officers were called to the incident on Rathmullan Drive in Newtownards last Thursday evening.
Video clips of the incident were shared on social media, with Gillespie saying she thought she was going to die.
Speaking to Sunday Life, she defended her pet dog and the breed.
She said: “Ryan and I are recovering, but we’re still very sore. I have a fractured hand and stitches in my leg.
“There are a lot of rumours going around and people wanting to blame the breed.
“It’s not the breed. It’s also not down to ownership.
“That dog was treated like an absolute baby and had his own bedroom and everything he needed.
“He didn’t do it because he’s an XL bully, and I’m sick of people giving them a bad name.
“I thought he was going to kill me, but it’s not down to his breed. He just flipped.”
Ms Gillespie named the dog Tommy and her French bulldog John Boy after Tommy and Johnny Shelby from the TV show Peaky Blinders.
Clarifying rumours that have been circulated social media since the incident, Ms Gillespie said the dog had previously bitten a child but insisted it was provoked.
She added: “Unfortunately, I was in Turkey at the time, and there were clear rules set in place that were not followed.
“Friends of mine were staying with me and there was an incident. A teenager was trying to separate my two dogs, who don’t get along. He was beating Tommy on the head, and the dog defended himself.
“His mother has confirmed this on Facebook. Tommy was then escorted out of my home to a vet by the PSNI.
“That resulted in me coming home to an £800 vet bill and boarding kennel fees.
“I’m fed up with people making up rumours about this and saying he attacked a child in the street because that’s not what happened.
“It was also said the boy needed to be airlifted which is not true. The air ambulance did attend, but it wasn’t needed.”
Ms Gillespie said she would get another XL bully if the ban on the breed was lifted.
She added that she was tired of being trolled, continuing: “I’ve had a lot of support online since it happened.
“Even people who don’t like me and vice versa have got in touch to wish me well.
“But I’ve had people saying nasty things. I’ve done a lot of charity work around XL bullies.
“We were attacked by our dog in our own home and are getting slandered for it.
“I’ve barely been able to sleep and haven’t eaten due to the stress. I’m physically sick of getting trolled online.
“I back the breed 100 per cent and always will. I’d have another one if they lifted the ban.
“I want to thank my partner too. He saved me, while his arm was completely ripped open. Without Ryan being there, I’d probably be dead.”
by pickneyboy3000
25 comments
>Clarifying rumours that have been circulated social media since the incident, Ms Gillespie said the dog had previously bitten a child but insisted it was provoked.
Dumb as a rock.
No matter how well trained, those dogs are too big and powerful. If they decide your time is up, they can and will end you. 7 years this woman had the dog. There’s always that chance it turns. This is why they shouldn’t be owned or exist.
ZERO lessons learnt. Fucking idiot should be given a permanent banning order from ever owning a dog
So much stupid in one statement.
She’s a stupid cunt.
“Its not the dog”
Nearly mauled me and my partner and previously attacked a kid as well as my other dog 🤔
This has to be a joke, seriously every statement she makes is comedy gold
This poor girl is a moron.
It’s not down to the breed or the owner, or the sky or the moon or the foreigners or the……
he just flipped.
Not the breed though, they all just flip, all of that breed just flip and try to kill people. Lovely wee dog. Had his own room you know!
Fucking moron.
Dog bites 3 people, but the dog was a lovely fella, never hurt a soul. Its always someone else’s fault. Never my fault or the dogs fault. Don’t blame me or the dog. I’m sick of people trying to make me take responsibility for these outcomes.
If a dog needs strict protocols to be followed when being taken care off, it’s probably for the best the dog flipped on the owners and got taken care off they way it did and not someone outside.
>I’ve done a lot of charity work around XL bullies
Wonder what charity that is, so I can never give anything to them ever.
XL bully owners need to do more to dispel negative stereotypes about XL bully owners.
Is this satire ?
My word. Story has it all. XL bully. “It’s not the owners fault, not the breed either.” Turkey. Kid taking blame for seemingly doing right thing. Lord oh.
Some people stir the Darwinist in me
https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/hank-the-dog-lookalike-spared-as-court-rules-pit-bull-is-safe/34913944.html
I apologise in advance for sharing the pay wall telegraph.
But this is not this person’s first brush with a controversial breed of dog.
So it didn’t attack because of the breed, it also didn’t attack because of how it was treated, so why did it attack? Because it was hungry maybe? Ah not so bad then.
This woman sounds thick as two short planks.
“The air ambulance did attend but it wasn’t needed” so I guess the injuries were bad enough that some medical professionals thought it was necessary, or maybe the pilot just wanted to get out and stretch his airlegs.
But the worst is, the dog attacked a child but in fairness it was provoked, well then, you reap what you sow, the child had it coming, ffs 🤦
Satire is well and truly dead. Every single word here is the most brain-dead, self contradictory, fuck-witted shite I think I’ve ever read. She’s far too fucking thick to realise her own words are damning her. The journalist here is to be congratulated; they’ve crafted the perfect argument as to why these dogs needed to be banned, why they should all be put down and why virtually everyone who wants to own one, or something like them in a built up residential area is a stupid selfish, dangerous cunt. And all they had to do was re-print the owners words verbatim.
>
>*“There are a lot of rumours going around and people wanting to blame the breed.*
>*“It’s not the breed. It’s also not down to ownership.*
>*“That dog was treated like an absolute baby and had his own bedroom and everything he needed.*
>*“He didn’t do it because he’s an XL bully, and I’m sick of people giving them a bad name.*
>*“I thought he was going to kill me, but it’s not down to his breed. He just flipped.”*
So what was it Ashton? What was it? What caused him to flip out Ashton? Think Ashton? What was it? Why did you have a dog like that Ashton? Why couldn’t you control it Ashton? What was it Ashton?
If people could legally own tigers as pets these are the exact people who would go and buy them. People would be rightly terrified of seeing tigers roaming around housing estates and cities, or dragging tiny women around on their “TIGER” branded chunky leads attached to Tiger walking harnesses emblazoned with the Tiger’s name (Princess if it’s a girl, Thanos if a boy).
Then they would say the exact same thing when someone gets killed.
>”There are a lot of rumours going around and people wanting to blame TIGERS.
>“It’s not **TIGERS**. It’s also not down to ownership.
>“That **TIGER** was treated like an absolute baby and had his own bedroom and everything he needed.
>“He didn’t do it because he’s a **TIGER**, and I’m sick of people giving **TIGERS** a bad name.
>“I thought he was going to kill me, but it’s not down to him being a **TIGER**. He just flipped.”
>I’ve done a lot of charity work around **TIGERS**.
>“We were attacked by our **TIGER** in our own home and are getting slandered for it.
>“I back **TIGERS** 100 per cent and always will. I’d have another **TIGER** if they lifted the ban.
What a fucking idiot.
Proof that you can’t bite the stupid out of someone.
What a clown. Honestly only idiots own them. Gotten to the stage as a dog owner I’m actually worried for my kid with how irresponsible some people are with their dogs, especially poorly trained bigger stronger defensive/aggro breeds.
It’s a bit like the bad driving thing/phones in cars stuff people post about lately. Common sense, awareness, bit of personal responsibility – gone out the window.
What the fuck are we doing lads?
These two cuntbags are well known in the Ards area. When the air ambulance came to pick up the teen who had nearly died from being attacked by one of their other dogs whilst they were on holiday getting their turkey teeth last year. That should have been the end to them owning any dogs. Even after their windows got put in because of it. But no, they continued to do what they do. Take gear, play shitty dance music and argue flat out all day everyday. You can literally walk past their house and smell how awful it is. They have something like 17 dogs which is bonkers.
Proving the opinion that anyone with an obsession with Peaky Blinders is an idiot/chavy cunt
“He didn’t attack a child apart from that child he attacked.”
Thick as a Boxing Day turd.
I notice the photograph used this time of Tommy doesn’t show that the dirty bastards had his ears clipped to make him look meaner. Anybody that does that to a dog, needs put down.
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