'Irresponsible' dog owner in court after vicious pet attacks woman in Yorkshire street

A man has been banned from owning a dog after his unregistered XL Bully attacked a woman in Sheffield.

On Wednesday, January 15, Davy Foy, 47, was brought before Sheffield Magistrates Court after his XL Bully, Choppa, attacked a woman in July 2024. Foy was made subject to a two-year dog ownership ban and the judge also granted a destruction order for the dog.

This follows an attack just after midnight on July 4, when South Yorkshire Police received reports of a woman being bitten by an XL Bully in Fife Street. Armed officers attended and found the woman with serious wounds to her body.

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Later, officers found Foy harbouring the animal in a back garden. The dog was seized and has remained in police kennels ever since.

The court hearing, which was held in Foy's absence, told the judge how officers were concerned about the dog returning to its owner due to the risk posed. The judge also heard how Foy was not a responsible owner.

Chief Inspector Emma Cheney said: "Following the XL Bully legislation changing, Foy failed to register his dog and follow the exemptions, showing from the beginning that he was not a responsible dog owner and didn’t have his pet’s best interests at heart.

"Any dog can cause fear or harm, but it cannot be ignored that certain breeds have a greater capability and innate behaviours, and these dogs must be in homes with knowledgeable and responsible owners.

"A woman was seriously injured, requiring hospital treatment as a result of Foy’s lack of care in preventing his extremely capable dog from causing harm.

"We are dedicated to doing all we can to protect our communities from dangerous dogs, but owners must take responsibility. You are the one who will be held accountable for your pet’s actions."

The costs of kennelling for Choppa came to nearly £6,000.

CI Cheney added: "Dangerous dogs continue to place unprecedented demand on our force. We do not have additional officers or money to respond with and simple measures from owners could be the difference between an incident occurring and everyone’s safety. Please take action."

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