Nicholas Glass, 33, suffered fatal injuries from multiple dog bites after being attacked by up to four dogs, including banned XL bullies, at a Birmingham home

Nicholas Glass was doing a favour for his hospitalised brother—feeding the dogs—when he tragically lost his life in an XL Bully Attack. The 33-year-old was found dead in a garden in Rednal, Birmingham, in the early hours of 21 August 2023, after being mauled by up to four dogs, including two illegal XL bullies without exemption certificates.

Glass had reportedly visited the property in Hereford Close on 19 August and was last seen entering with one dog at 10.11 pm. CCTV captured distressing audio shortly after, appearing to record someone calling for help. By the time police arrived two days later, responding to reports of dogs roaming the street, Glass was found behind a fence panel in the garden—fatally injured and “reasonably well hidden.”

A post-mortem confirmed that he had suffered multiple blunt force injuries, with dog bites and claw marks all over his body, including a major wound to his upper arm that exposed the bone, which was found with teeth marks.

West Midlands Police located two of the dogs at the scene and later captured the other two two miles away. Investigations confirmed that two were XL bullies, one was an American bulldog, and the fourth a Staffy cross. None of the animals had been declared or licensed under the UK’s dangerous dog legislation.

Detective Constable Darren Ford said officers discovered a significant amount of blood inside the home and near a back window—suggesting Mr Glass had attempted to flee before succumbing to his injuries.

Firearms officers were deployed after neighbours reported being trapped in their homes due to the dogs’ presence. While the dogs were not acting overtly aggressive on police arrival, their size and potential danger were enough to spark a major emergency response.

Coroner Adam Hodson told the inquest at Birmingham Coroner’s Court that it was not possible to determine which dogs delivered the fatal bites. He returned a narrative verdict and praised Mr Glass as a “happy chap” who loved his family despite battling mental health issues.

The incident adds to growing concern around the XL bully breed, which has been at the centre of debates over dog legislation and public safety. This case underscores how quickly a situation involving powerful dogs can turn deadly—even for a familiar face.