'XL Bully' shot dead by police in Sheffield after man and woman mauled by family pet

The owner of the dog and his mum were attacked in a garden of a house on Collin Avenue, near Hillsborough, on Tuesday night, by a dog thought by police to be an unregistered XL Bully.

A witness to the aftermath of the incident helped her partner into an ambulance when she arrived at the scene.

Her partner was injured after rushing to his mother’s aid when she was being mauled by the dog.

The family pet was a rescue dog, who had been taken in to give him a better life.

The witness said she does not believe the dog was an XL Bully.

She told The Star that when she arrived the dog was still attacking her partner.

She said: “What I saw was awful - the dog was still attacking him. It looking like a lion at the zoo with a piece of meat.”

She said police arrived, but she left before the dog was shot because she could not bear to see that happen. But she understands that initially police had tried to capture the dog.

Her partner and his mum have since been discharged from hospital.

South Yorkshire Police said armed officers were deployed at 10.15pm on Tuesday, June 3, following reports of what was believed to be an XL Bully attacking a man and woman in the garden of a property on Collin Avenue.

The force said: “The woman, aged in her 50s suffered serious, potentially life-altering injuries to her leg and was taken to hospital by ambulance. A man, in his 30s also suffered serious puncture wounds from the dog and was taken to hospital.

“Armed officers used tactics to attempt to contain the animal, but due to the continued risk it posed, it was decided to shoot the dog at the scene.

“The dog involved in this incident is believed to be an unregistered XL Bully, and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the dog’s breed and becoming out of control is ongoing.”

South Yorkshire Police said shooting a dog is never a decision taken lightly and is only made when all other tactics are exhausted, but that the safety of communities and officers is and always will be the priority.

But the force warned that certain breeds of dog have greater capability to cause harm, and that it must be acknowledged that this attack could have ended in a fatality.

The force added: “When the public needs our help, to stand between them and danger, our officers do not hesitate.

“Our armed officers are highly trained, skilled professionals who put themselves in harm’s way every day on the frontline, but they are also human, they have families who care and any type of abuse towards them or their actions will not be tolerated.

“We are continuing to see daily demand on our force and resources from dangerous dogs and we continue to urge dog owners to take precaution, and make changes to protect yourself, your family and your dog.

For more information about dog’s behaviour, advice and guidance, visit the Blue Cross- https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/dogor Dog’s Trust- https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/understanding-your-dog

Get The Star for less than a fiver with our new value subscription package

If you’d like to receive more stories like this as well as the latest news from The Star, click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter.