A rescue centre is appealing to members of the public to judge every dog by their personality rather than breed.
The message comes only days after Gwent Police revealed the dog which killed a 10-year-old boy in Pentwyn, Penyrheol in November was an American bully, otherwise known as an XL bully.
The breed is relatively new to the UK and was first recognised in America in 2013 by the United Kennel Club.
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It is thought to be a relation of American Staffordshire terriers, American pitbull terriers, American bulldogs, English bulldogs, Olde English bulldogge, Staffordshire bull terriers and French bulldogs.
The result is a big, muscly breed like the dog involved in the incident which was eight stone.
However, Cardiff Dogs Home insists we should look more to a dog’s individual personality than breed.
A spokesperson for Cardiff Dogs Home said on Facebook: “We all have different personalities, some of us like to be reserved whilst others like to be the life and soul of the party.
“Bull breeds have always been stigmatised, from the way they look to how they’ve been portrayed in the media.
“So for everyone who has a bull breed, thank you for sticking up for this breed as you see first hand how others can react to your pup.
“Just like humans, dogs have the potential to hurt you.
“It doesn’t matter what breed of dog it is; bulldog, jack russell, sausage dog, they can react the same as us humans.
“Please don't judge a dog by how it looks, just like we shouldn’t judge a human by how they look.”
The rescue centre then encouraged people to post pictures of their own dogs in the comments, whatever the breed.
One posted a picture of a Staffy, saying: “My girl is beautiful, loving and soft. But I will always be cautious, not because of her, but because of how she is viewed.”
Another posted a picture of an old time bulldog, saying: “This was my gorgeous dog George, who sadly passed away this year.
“He had the best temperament, loved cwtches, a wimp in the rain and a bit dopey. Miss him and his slobbery chops.”
A third posted a picture of an American bully, saying: “My daughter has been through a tough few months and Diego our XL bully has been an absolute God send to us as a family.
“We’ve had him since he was five months, we were his fourth and final home. He’s our precious boy.”
The RSPCA runs an “adoptabull” campaign to try to break down the stigma around bull breeds which the charity says largely stems from the Breed Specific Legislation in the UK.
Otherwise known as the BSL, the legislation was introduced to the UK in 1991 and bans four types of dogs specifically bred for fighting.
A report by the RSPCA in 2017 cites a lack of evidence base to support a breed specific approach to reducing dog bites.
Earlier this year, a TeamDogs survey found Staffordshire bull terriers to be the UK’s favourite dog breed so it seems progress has been made, but Cardiff Dogs Home is determined to change perspectives for good.
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