Dearne dog attack: Police reveal breed of 'dangerous dog' which attacked toddler and child in Bolton on Dearne
Police have revealed the breed of the dog which seriously injured a South Yorkshire toddler - and it is not an XL Bully
Officers who were called to the incident, which happened at Broadwater, Bolton upon Dearne, between Barnsley and Rotherham, on Wednesday morning are continuing their investigations into the incident.
The dog also caused serious injuries to another dog, before it was stopped by a brave passer-by, who grabbed it by its collar.
Now, South Yorkshire Police have issued an update as their enquiries continue.
And among the new information disclosed by officers is the confirmation of the dog’s breed.
They said the animal that carried out the attack was a Japanese Akita.
Officers have also today said that the two-year-old who suffered serious injuries in the attack still remains in hospital.
But police say that the older child, aged nine, who was also attacked and initially described as having suffered serious injuries, is now assessed as having suffered minor injuries.
Meanwhile, two people who were arrested on suspicion of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control have now been released on police bail.
The initial incident was reported to have happened at Broadwater, in Bolton on Dearne, which is part of the Barnsley metropolitan borough.
The dog was later spotted and stopped on a nearby street, Ingsfield Lane, where a member of the public took hold of its collar.
The dog was taken into police care.
The Kennel Club describes the Akita breed as originating in Japan. where it says the breed ‘was developed for hunting bear, deer and wild boar and, unfortunately, was also used in fighting competitions’.
However, they are not on the list of dogs banned in the UK.
Enquiries are on-going and police are appealing for witnesses to the incident or those with information, to contact them quoting incident number 177 of July 3, 2024.