Police warn ‘someone will die’ after 13 dog attacks in less than 48 hours

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Dog owners have been urged to ‘step up before someone dies’ after police were called to 13 attacks in less than 48 hours.

South Yorkshire Police issued the stark warning in the wake of a flurry of incidents, including a man left with serious facial injuries and a woman terrified her baby could have been mauled.

It comes after 10-year-old Savannah Bentham was killed by her family’s XL Bully in neighbouring North Yorkshire just over a week ago. Officers there said she had a ‘close, loving relationship’ with the animal.

Chief Inspector Emma Cheney, who is leading the work on dangerous dogs across South Yorkshire, said: ‘Recently we have sadly seen another fatal incident in the UK of a dog causing death.

‘People think it won’t happen to them, that their dog won’t cause harm, but it can happen to anyone.

‘Any dog can cause fear and harm and owners who do not step up and prevent harm to our communities will not be tolerated.

‘You are responsible for your dog’s actions, and we continue to put people before the courts.’

On Thursday, paramedics called for police after a man was attacked by his American Bulldog when he tried to pull it off his other dog, a pocket bully, at home in Sheffield.

He was rushed to hospital with cuts to his head, face and neck. The Bulldog was seized and remains in police kennels.

Video grab of an out of control dog attacking another dog on Richmond Road in Sheffield, South Yorks,. on September 2. See SWNS story SWMRdog.The horrifying video shows the mum pushing her daughter in a trike while walking her dog, when the Staffordshire bull terrier comes running up to them. The animal then proceeded to attack the woman's dog - while she tried to move her daughter, who can be heard crying, out of the way.The bull terrier's owner then managed to grab his dog and move him out of the wayThe woman and her daughter both suffered superficial injuries from the attack - which happened on Richmond Road in Sheffield, South Yorks,. on September 2. — An out of control dog attacking another dog on Richmond Road in Sheffield (Picture: South Yorkshire Police/SWNS)

Video grab from a shocking video shows the 47-year-old male victim get dragged through the road by the dogs, who believed to be a Mastiff and a Cane Corso. Photo released October 1 2024. It is alleged that the two dogs had escaped from a nearby property in Sheffield, South Yorks., and that a local resident saw the animals and put one of them on a lead. As the man attempted to untangle the lead from one of the dog?s legs, they both became reactive and started to attack.The victim suffered deeps cuts and puncture wounds across his body and was taken to hospital by ambulance, after the attack happened on Sunday (September 29). — A 47-year-old man dragged through the road by two loose dogs (Picture: South Yorkshire Police/SWNS)

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An elderly woman and her grandchild were attacked by another loose dog in Sheffield.

In addition to the human cost to some of these attacks, police also sought to highlight the financial cost in dealing with them.

Each response requires officers from several teams to attend, while dogs seized need to be transported, homed and cared for until any action is decided on.

Safeguarding checks then need to be undertaken, along with referrals for vulnerable people, while the investigation progresses to court.

White dog american bulldog on a background of autumn park — On Thursday, paramedics called for police after a man was attacked by his American Bulldog (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Savannah’s family said they were ‘utterly shocked’ and ‘devastated’ by her death in a statement, adding: ‘We can’t believe we have lost our wonderful girl who we love so much.’