Puncture wounds and leg 'hanging off' as dogs seized in horror 48 hours
Four dogs have been seized by police in South Yorkshire after attack victims were left with puncture wounds, bites and a leg "hanging off".
This weekend, South Yorkshire Police attended 48 hours of calls after several family members were left hospitalised after bites from dogs. Officers first responded to the dog attacks across South Yorkshire on September 22 and it continued through to the next day. WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW.
One incident was in the Armthorpe area of Doncaster, where a woman in her 60s had half her leg 'hanging off' after being bitten by a Rottweiler cross Husky. The pensioner had to be taken to hospital with serious, but not life-threatening leg injuries.
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That afternoon, officers then attended to reports of a Belgium Malinois, who bit a 20-year-old girl after she got in-between the dog and another family member when the dog displayed aggression towards them. The woman suffered lacerations to her arms that required an ambulance and hospital treatment.
The following day (Monday, September 23), a 33-year-old woman was left with non-life threatening injuries after being bitten by a dog in her own home in Maltby.
The woman was taken to hospital as the dog caused puncture wounds to the woman’s hands, arms and torso and she also suffered a broken wrist.
It is believed that while feeding another dog within the property, an XL Bully became aggressive and attacked the dog, and the woman. The final incident was a 13-year-old boy who suffered minor injuries after being bitten by a Cane Corso.
Leading the work on dangerous dogs, Chief Inspector Emma Cheney said: “Sadly these incidents are not isolated and are a daily occurrence for our officers to respond and deal with. We are continuing to see an unprecedented demand on our force, as well as other organisations, such as the NHS. Please, please take action. Simple steps can be the difference between life and death.”
All dogs involved in the incidents have been seized and remain in police custody. Police also want to reiterate that family members should not leave children unattended with dogs, walk your dog on a lead in public areas and make sure dogs has somewhere safe and comfortable to go when you have visitors.
The force is urging dog owners to stop thinking ‘it won’t happen to me’ and take action. You are more likely to be attacked and bitten by a known dog within a home. Taking precautions, regardless of your dog’s age, breed and history can save yourself, your family and others from harm. For more information and advice, please visit the BlueCross website here.
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