A surge in dog attacks has raised alarm bells in South Yorkshire, with chilling videos circulating as the police warned ‘someone will die’.
South Yorkshire Police issued the dire warning as there were thirteen reported incidents in just 48 hours.
These included one harrowing encounter where a young mother found herself and her baby in a frightening situation after a loose XL Bully went on the attack.
The American Bulldog’s owner was taken to hospital after suffering lacerations to his face, neck and head when he stepped in to break up a dog fight in his home in Sheffield.
The bulldog was seized by officers and is currently being held in police kennels.
An elderly woman and her grandchild were also among those attacked by another loose hound in the city.
The wave of violence is compounded by the heart-wrenching case of 10-year-old Savannah Bentham, who was mauled to death by her own pet XL Bully, which North Yorkshire Police described as having a ‘close, loving relationship’ with its owner.
The numbers spell out a grim story for the region, as from February 2023 to July 2024, there have been 796 dog attacks in South Yorkshire – 370 in 2023 and 426 in 2024. That has doubled from 2020.
A dog attack is counted as a crime when an ‘owner or person in charge allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control in any place in England or Wales injuring any person or assistance dog’.
Dog attacks have risen by a fifth in one year, with police recording more than 80 incidents a day.
Police forces recorded 30,539 offences of a dog injuring a person or a guide dog last year – up from 25,291 in 2022.
In 2023, there were over 6,000 recorded incidents of dog bites requiring hospital treatment.
It comes after a ban on XL Bully dogs came into force following a spate of devastating attacks by the dogs, leaving people dead or seriously injured.
A few days after the ban, Esther Martin, 68, was mauled to death by her son-in-law’s unregistered XL Bully dogs in front of her screaming grandson, aged 11.
Professor Carri Westgarth and Dr John Tulloch from the University of Liverpool’s School of Veterinary Science said the majority of dog bites are from a dog known to the victim.
Often this is the family pet and bites happen during stroking, restraining or just play.
The dog is often responding to discomfort, pain or fear.
Little Savannah was killed by her pet pooch at the start of this month after being attacked by her pet at home in Malton, Yorkshire.
Traumatic scenes – which saw the girl’s mother running outside screaming ‘my baby’s dead’ – unfolded in the sleepy Yorkshire village after Savannah had reportedly boasted to her pals: ‘I have got a new pet – an XL Bully’.
In a statement via North Yorkshire Police, Savannah’s family said they were ‘utterly shocked’ and ‘devastated’, adding: ‘We can’t believe we have lost our wonderful girl who we love so much.’
They continued: ‘We thank everyone for their support and kindness as we struggle to come to terms with our loss. We ask that our family’s privacy is respected while we grieve for Savannah.’
The family live in a static caravan in a compound behind a shop premises in East Heslerton, North Yorkshire.
North Yorkshire Police said the girl had a ‘close, loving relationship’ with the dog that went on to kill her. The force said the mutt would be put down.
Days earlier, a little girl suffered horrific injuries when she was attacked by her family’s two-year-old Doberman in Sheffield when she tried to give it a kiss.
The dog was laid on the sofa and the girl tried to give it a peck, but the animal reacted and mauled the child’s head.
Horrific photos of the little girl from after the attack showed the side of her face and ears covered in blood, and she was taken to hospital where she required surgery.
The dog was seized and put to sleep.
Last month, horrifying footage was made public by the force of a man being mauled by a pair of dogs after they reportedly escaped onto the street.
A man and a girl, 14, were attacked on Dagenam Crescent in Sheffield on September 29.
The two dogs, believed to be a Mastiff and a Cane Corso, are thought to have escaped from a property on the street.
The victim, aged 47, suffered deep cuts and puncture wounds across his body and was taken to hospital via ambulance, requiring surgery.
A second victim, aged 14, suffered minor injuries from attempting to intervene.
In September a four-year-old girl was attacked by two XL Bullys while she played in the park with her mother in Sheffield.
She was rushed to hospital for her injuries to her body, which were luckily not life-threatening.
Moreover in September last year, shocking footage emerged of a mother trying to protect her young daughter – after an out of control dog attacked her own pet.
The woman was pushing her one-year-old child in a trike while walking her dog when a Staffordshire bull terrier came running up to them on Richmond Road in Sheffield.
The bull terrier then attacked the woman’s dog while she tried to move her daughter, who can be heard crying, out of the way.
And just days earlier, a man was dragged into the middle of the road as he tried to fight off an attacking dog.
CCTV of the attack, shows a man, in a blue fleece and dark trousers, holding a small black dog aloft as a larger, tan-coloured canine appears to snap at his arm.
As he moves around and attempts to fend off the larger animal, it locks its jaws around his left forearm.
Despite this, the dog still refuses to let go – only doing so as a red BMW hatchback comes to the rescue, mounting the pavement in what appears to be a bid to bring the incident to a halt.
But as the smaller black pet attempts to flee, the larger animal follows it down the road – before the footage comes to an end.
Chief Inspector Emma Cheney, 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.’
Speaking directly to owners, she added: ‘You are responsible for your dog’s actions, and we continue to put people before the courts.’
The police force bemoaned the financial cost and resources they incur for every response to a dog attack saying it took officers ‘away from other calls’.
As well as having to contract kennel personnel to transport and house the mutts, they also have to carry out safeguarding checks and investigate any criminal aspects to ‘ensure justice is secured’.
A spokesman for the force added: ‘Separate from the investigative resources, the dogs seized during incidents must be cared for and kennelled until a decision is made.’
CI Cheney continued: ‘We only have a limited number of resources, attending dangerous dog incidents takes officers away from other calls. If every owner steps up and makes small changes, we can make a difference.’