AMERICAN XL Bully dogs have been labelled dangerous killers, but one owner has turned hers into Instagram sensations and even gives them makeovers.<br />Brit Lily Feltham, who lives in Marbella, insists her dogs, banned in the UK from today, make wonderful pets - despite a wave of horror attacks by the breed this year.<br /><br />She claims they are so mellow that her dogs - 11 stone Rolex, Cartel and Kay - allow her to paint them to look like leopards, tigers and cheetahs.<br /><br />Lily, 31, says: “I’ve even taken them to my friend’s salon to paint their nails and pretend to do their eyelashes.”<br /><br />Having been trapped in an abusive relationship for several years, Lily says she bought her dogs to make her feel secure when they split.<br /><br />“I was told every day that nobody would want me, that I was fat, ugly, full of stretch marks and would never be anything except council scum," she explains.<br /><br />“I was abused both physically and emotionally, so when we broke up I was worried that he might try to come to my new house or something.<br /><br />“I had a panic alarm, couldn’t sleep and was worried all the time.<br /><br />“I bought my first XL Bully called Kay and, while I knew she’d never bite anyone, she looked the part.<br /><br />“Just having her in the house at night made me feel safe, and I had to go out walking her, so it built up my confidence.<br /><br />Mum-of-one Lily controversially uses chalk paint to transform her dogs into wild animals on Instagram - but some people think they are real cross breeds.<br /><br />Lily says: “I’ve had people message to say, ‘How dare you breed a dog with a leopard or tiger,’ because they don’t realise it’s just a bit of fun.<br /><br />“I mainly use chalk mixed with water to paint them and they absolutely love it. It washes off easily and doesn’t do them any harm.”<br /><br />In the UK, XL Bullys face strict regulations from December 31 following a spate of attacks which have left 12 Brits dead in the past three years.<br /><br />New laws prohibiting the breed were formally laid in Parliament in October under the Dangerous Dogs Act.<br /><br />Breeding, selling, advertising, rehoming, abandoning and allowing an XL to stray will be illegal, and dogs will have to be kept on a lead and muzzled in public.<br /><br />From February it will be illegal to own one if it’s not on a register of exempted dogs.<br /><br />Lily claims the dogs are the victim of bad owners, adding: “These dogs are big and powerful but I’ve not come across a single aggressive one.<br /><br />“It’s the fault of owners who use them as status symbols instead of training and looking after them properly.<br /><br />"A chihuahua can bite if it’s not raised properly, but the problem is Bullies can cause a lot of damage.”<br /><br />She believes the new government rules will be difficult to enforce and says Britain should have followed the lead of Spain, where owners must have special licences and a clean criminal record.<br />today's viral news, Dog News, breaking news, xl bully news, xl bully ban, xl bully uk, dogs, pets, domestic abuse, makeover, dog pedicure, spain, female news, female empowerment, American dog, Ame
