St Helen's dog attack: Breed that killed baby Bella-Rae finally confirmed

Currently, the only banned dog breeds are the Pitbull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro

Following the horrific mauling of baby Bella-Rae Birch earlier this week, police have now revealed that the dog's breed was an American Bully XL. 17-month-old Bella Rae was killed on March 21 after being mauled by the family dog at her home in St Helen's, Merseyside. The dog, which had been bought home the previous week, was being investigated by police to understand whether it was banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991. On March 24, Merseyside police said the breed was an American Bully XL, a legal breed in conjunction with the current legislation. https://twitter.com/MerseyPolice/status/1507042294129737729 Posting to Twitter, they wrote: "Tests have confirmed that the dog involved in the tragic death of 17-month-old Bella Rae-Birch in St Helens on Monday was an American Bully XL, a legal breed not subject to any prohibitions under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991." Currently, the only dogs banned are the Pitbull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. Thousands have donated towards Bella-Rae's funeral through a fundraising page set up by the girl's mum, Treysharn. On the fundraising page, she wrote: "On March 21 we sadly lost our gorgeous blue-eyed baby girl, who was just one year of age, in a tragic sudden accident. [caption id="attachment_325368" align="alignnone" width="2048"]

Via iStock[/caption] "We are now in a position where we need to raise funds towards the most beautiful send-off. "Every little will help, every little is appreciated. Thank you everyone." An emotional tribute from Bella-Rae's family, shared through Merseyside Police, reads: "As a family we would like to thank the community for their support. [caption id="attachment_325366" align="alignnone" width="554"]

Via SWNS[/caption] "We would ask that we are now allowed some space and time to try and come to terms with the tragic loss of our much-loved Bella-Rae. She will be sadly missed but never forgotten."