A Royston XL bully owner is holding weekly walks to demonstrate that the breed is safe when properly trained, following several high-profile attacks in the UK.

Megan Potter, who owns an American XL bully and a smaller 'pocket' bully, invited fellow dog owners to bring their pets to Therfield Heath on Sunday.

Seven people showed up to take part in the walk accompanied by dogs of different breeds - including XL bullies - with more planning on joining in the future.

Megan said: "I thought I might get one person show up, so I was delighted."

As well as owning four-year-old XL bully Nala and five-year-old pocket bully Zion, Megan looks after other people's dogs - including XL bully Sky who she brought along on the walk.

Royston Crow: Megan's dogs Nala and ZionMegan's dogs Nala and Zion (Image: Megan Potter)

She said: "There are quite a few XL bullies in Royston.

 "I've never had any issues, but they've been attacked by other dogs multiple times.

"About eight months ago Nala got attacked by a Newfoundland and a Labrador and had to have staples put in her ear at Reed Vets to keep it from falling off.

"I've never had any aggression from them. They've grown up around my three-year-old since he was a newborn baby."

Megan explained that owners of larger dogs need to properly train them to ensure they are safe.

She added: "Zion was very easy to train but he still weighs about 30kg. 

"They've both had basic training since they were puppies. With my XL I took all the precautions of owning a larger dog.

"I live in an area with a lot of elderly or smaller dogs - my dogs love all the other dogs."

The Government has announced proposals to ban XL bully dogs by the end of the year, meaning current owners may need to be registered and the dogs will be required to wear muzzles.

The ban comes after 52-year-old Ian Price was killed by two suspected XL bullies in Staffordshire, and an 11-year-old girl was injured following an attack by an XL bully in Birmingham.

Megan said: "I love big dogs, but I understand people's opinions. I think the government should do something about the dog attacks but are going about it the wong way.

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"I'm going to have to muzzle the dogs and have them constantly on a lead after they've had five years of freedom."

While Megan's dogs are well-trained and peaceful, she believes that dogs and owners should be under tighter restrictions to reduce potential danger.

"Some owners don't understand that they've got a powerful breed," she said.

"Not everyone should be able to own certain dogs. If you're going to own a big dog breed that can cause harm - even a Labrador - you should be assessed before you get them."

She explained that large dogs should be subject to routine checks similar to an MOT on a car.

"They're not looking into all big dogs," Megan explained. "They're picking on a breed that has been over-bred and some people don't care about training their dog."

To demonstrate that larger breeds can be safe when properly trained, Megan plans to hold the dog walk every Sunday at Therfield Heath, with dog owners invited to meet at the Heath Café Bar at 9am.

She said: "I want to raise support and awareness that these dogs can be fine with the right control."