Having an XL bully is “like owning a loaded firearm”, police have said after officers had to unload 19 rounds into two dogs to stop a “ferocious” attack on an 84-year-old man.

The victim, who was left fighting for his life in hospital, was walking along a residential street when he was dragged into a garden and mauled at about 6.40pm on Monday.

Cheshire constabulary said an XL bully had escaped from a nearby property before it attacked the man.

The force said firearms officers had to discharge 19 shots into two dogs to destroy them during the incident on Bardsley Avenue in Warrington.

The chief constable of Cheshire constabulary, Mark Roberts, said: “This was an innocent man who was simply walking in the street when he was horrifically attacked by a suspected unregistered XL bully.

“These dogs are like weapons; their physical attributes can make it like owning a loaded firearm with a questionable safety catch.

“The sheer size and ferocity of these animals mean that our firearms officers had to discharge 19 shots into them, all of which hit their targets, in order bring the incident to a conclusion and ensure the safety of the public.

“While the victim is now receiving the treatment that he requires, there is no doubt that this incident will impact him for the rest of his life.”

The man was taken to Aintree hospital in Liverpool, where he remained in a critical but stable condition, police said.

Officers said they had destroyed the XL bully involved in the attack and a second animal that was found in a nearby property. A third smaller dog was also seized.

A woman, 29, was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a dog dangerously out of control causing serious injury. She remains in police custody.

Police are also trying to find a 40-year-old man in connection with the incident. They urged any potential witnesses to come forward.

It has been illegal to own an XL bully in Great Britain since February 2024 unless owners have a certificate of exemption and follow a number of other legal requirements. Northern Ireland introduced the same restrictions last month.

Roberts said: “The danger to the public that these dogs pose is well known, which is why Cheshire constabulary has been extremely proactive in enforcing the new regulations.

“So far we have already removed more than 100 XL bullies from the streets of Cheshire, and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure that those who don’t comply with the new regulations are held accountable.”