A man has been mauled by two large dogs in Sheffield – as police warn people who own such animals to “step up and take action” to prevent similar attacks.
The force said the two dogs, thought to be a mastiff and a cane corso, are believed to have escaped from a property before the attack on Dagnam Crescent shortly before 5pm on Sunday.
A neighbour had seen the dogs and put the black cane corso on a lead, police added.
Footage, released by police, showed a man trying to untangle the lead from one of the dog’s legs before the animal began biting him and pushing him to the ground.
The two dogs then attacked the man, who tried to get to his feet.
South Yorkshire Police has said the 47-year-old man suffered deep cuts and puncture wounds across his body and was taken to hospital via ambulance. He required surgery and remains in hospital.
A 14-year-old girl suffered minor injuries after attempting to intervene.
Police have said when they arrived at the scene the cane corso had been tied to a lamppost.
They added the second dog remained on the loose and continued to pose a risk to the public.
Police said firearms officers secured the loose mastiff in a garden, but were unable to safely contain it. They therefore decided to “humanely destroy the dog at the scene”.
A 21-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of possession of a dog dangerously out of control and obstructing a police officer has been released on police bail.
A 39-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of possession of a dog dangerously out of control and has been released on police bail.
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Chief Inspector Emma Cheney said: “We are continuing to see people getting hurt in our communities by dogs, and an increase in demand, in responding and investigating incidents being placed on our force.
“During [this] incident, we dispatched several firearms and response officers to the scene for everyone’s safety. The National Police Air Service were also overhead to monitor the loose dog, should it have run further from the scene.
“Two people were arrested and an investigation into the circumstances will now take place.
“The demand isn’t just on our force, but also on the NHS through ambulance responses and hospital treatment.
“Please take action. If you are a dog owner, think about your circumstances and what steps you can take to increase everyone’s safety. You may think ‘this won’t happen to me’ but it can happen to anyone and you as the owner will be the one responsible for your pet’s actions.”