A devastated owner has told how his two dogs were shot dead by police in his home after they arrived to arrest him over an unrelated allegation.
Ashley Taylor, 35, gave officers the keys to his house in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on July 30 before going to a police station following the arrest for burglary and other offences.
He put his two dogs – Staffordshire Bull Terrier Lotus and American Bulldog Prince – in the kitchen of the property.
But upon his return the next day, the distraught owner found blood, bullet holes and cartridge casings in the house, alongside just one of his dog’s collars on the landing.
Pictures from the scene showing the damage suggest officers killed Lotus in the kitchen before pursuing Prince through the house and firing wildly up the staircase.
South Yorkshire Police later said the dogs had been believed to be an ‘unregistered XL Bully and a pit bull type’ and were ‘aggressive’, so they were destroyed ‘humanely’.
However, Mr Taylor was left devastated by the loss of his two pets, who he said were like ‘his kids’.
He said: ‘I’m broken-hearted, to be honest. I had just got home from the police station but I couldn’t stay there. I got changed and walked straight out again.
‘I just don’t understand why they did it.
‘It’s just horrible. They weren’t just dogs, they were like kids, they were like my babies, and they just took them away like that.’
Ryan Smith, 43, who lives near Mr Taylor, in the Woodhouse area of Sheffield, described how dozens of officers descended on the address at around 11.30pm on July 30.
But police told him that they were unable to search the property, on Tithe Barn Lane, due to there being dogs inside.
Ryan said: ‘I came out my house and there were six or seven police vehicles on the street, and they told me they needed to search the house but couldn’t get in because of the dogs.
‘I said I’ll go in and get them. I stroke those dogs every day, I know them, they know me, they play with my kids.
‘The officer said ”no no no, it’s an endangerment to life”.
Shortly before 3am, Ryan saw ‘officers with two big dog cages and a whole squad of armed officers in full gear’ arrive on the road.
He added: ‘I heard 12 shots, I think it’s completely wrong. Those dogs would still be alive if they had let me go in and get them.’
Describing the scene at his property after he returned, Mr Taylor said: ‘There was smashed glass in my kitchen.
‘There was blood all up my stairs and bullet holes up the walls.
‘It looks like they got to the bottom of the stairs and fired up it because my bathroom [at the top of the stairs] is filled with holes.
‘Prince’s collar was left on the stairs.
‘I just don’t understand why they did this. I can just picture them killing Lotus in the kitchen, and chasing Prince through the house shooting at him.’
Mr Taylor said he had recently staged a protest in Sheffield over the incident.
But so far, Lotus and Prince’s bodies have not been returned to him, and Mr Taylor has not been given the keys to his property.
A spokesperson from South Yorkshire Police said: ‘We were called to Tithe Barn Lane in the Woodhouse area of Sheffield at 4.50pm on Tuesday 30 July following reports of a disturbance.
‘Officers were deployed to the scene and detained a man on suspicion of burglary, attempted burglary and possession of a Class A drug before transferring him into Derbyshire Police’s custody.
‘Two dogs present in the property, believed to be an unregistered XL Bully and a pit bull type, were displaying aggressive behaviour.
‘Firearms officers were deployed to the property due to the heightened risk of harm as a result of the level of aggression from both dogs.
‘Officers were on scene for a over four hours working through tactics, alongside kennel staff and dog handlers, to try and contain the dogs.
‘The dogs could not be safely contained to allow officers to conduct their work and the decision was made to humanely destroy them at the scene.
‘The dogs remain in police property while breed assessments and testing takes place. We endeavour to keep the owner updated throughout.’