Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya is being guarded by an XL bully dog after the homes of some footballers were targeted by criminals, it has been reported.
The 28-year-old Spaniard has reportedly hired experts to train the dog, called Goku, to protect his property, according to The Sun.
It comes just weeks after it became a criminal offence to own an XL bully dog in England and Wales without an exemption certificate – any unregistered pets can be seized and the owners fined and prosecuted.
Raya and his girlfriend, Tatiana Trouboul, have an exemption certificate for the dog, which lives in a secure cage with them at their home in north London, The Sun reported.
The breed was added to the Dangerous Dogs Act on 31 October last year following a spate of attacks. Further restrictions mean the pets must be muzzled and kept on a lead in public.
A number of Premier League footballers’ homes have been raided by burglars and criminal gangs in recent times, including the Cheshire mansion of Manchester City’s Jack Grealish.
A spokesperson from Elite Protection Dogs, the firm hired to train Goku, told the newspaper the player has had the one-year-old pet since it was a puppy.
The company added: “We are training Goku on a long-term contract.
“Everyone with XL bullys is worried. But David is a responsible owner, he wants to be responsible with him.”
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Around 40,000 of the large bulldog-type American breed are believed to have been registered before the 1 February exemption certificate deadline.
Police chiefs have urged members of the public to report any XL bully owners not following the rules.
On 24 February, a ban on the sale of the dogs came into force in Scotland.
