LONDON

A man has been sentenced to three years in prison after his XL bully dog attacked a 12-year-old girl in Wales in November.

Justin Allison, 38, has been jailed after pleading guilty to possessing a banned breed without a license and being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control in a public place.

In November, Allison's XL bully dog, a banned breed, attacked the girl in Nantyglo and left her hospitalized for treatment.

He also admitted a charge of possessing an offensive weapon in a private place.

During a trial at Newport Crown Court on Wednesday, Allison received a sentence of three years in prison and has been banned from owning dogs for 10 years.

Following a number of attacks involving dogs, the ban on XL bullies under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced in England and Wales on Feb. 1 last year.

The act prohibits or restricts certain types of dogs and codifies the criminal offense of allowing a dog of any breed to be dangerously out of control.

So far, five dog breeds – pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, dogo argentino, fila brasileiro and XL bully – are banned under the act.