Police who shot dead two dogs after a horse was reportedly bitten said the decision was not taken lightly – and urged owners to take action to keep people and animals safe.
South Yorkshire Police officers shot the pair in Sheffield last week.
A spokesperson for the force said: “At 1.25pm on Monday 31 March, we responded to reports of two dogs, believed to be an XL bully and a large mixed breed, being dangerously out of control on woodland near Cramfit Road, Sheffield, with no owner at the scene.
“We received reports that the dogs were chasing two horses and one of the horses had been bitten.
“A number of members of the public were in the immediate area, including children who were playing nearby. Due to the ongoing risk posed by the dogs to the public, other animals, and our officers, it was necessary to shoot the dogs.”
The spokesperson said an investigation was ongoing and appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.
On 3 April, South Yorkshire Police officers responded to reports that a Japanese Akita had bitten a man in Sheffield – the 18th report the force had had in the past three days of dogs causing injury or fear to a person.
“As our efforts continue, and officers continue to face the challenges of responding to incidents, we are renewing our plea for dog owners to also step up and take responsibility for their pets,” the spokesperson said.
Officers were sent to the area; on arrival, a woman told them she had previously been bitten by the dog. Police used their vehicles to contain it in a doctors’ surgery car park while patients were held inside. A man was treated in A&E for an injured hand.
The dog was seized and its owner signed it over to police.
On 3 April, Chief Inspector Emma Cheney said: “This week has been challenging for armed officers, dog handlers and dog legislation officers who have taken [extensive] abuse for shooting two dogs earlier this week.
“We understand this is an extremely distressing incident for the dogs’ owners. Shooting a dog is never a decision taken lightly by our armed officers, many of whom are dog owners themselves, but the safety of our communities and officers will always be paramount.”
Ms Cheney reiterated that the officers had been deployed on 31 March after reports the two dogs were dangerously out of control and had bitten a horse, and that when officers arrived, they were still loose.
“The public only see a small fraction of the incidents and work we undertake. We receive on average four reports of a day for dogs causing injury or fear and work hard to educate owners to reduce risk,” she said.
“I can assure you that our officers are highly skilled and trained and work through various tactics and options available to them. We will do all we can to protect and prevent and urge you to think how you would want us to react if you, a family member, or worse, your child was being attacked.
“A lot of incidents can be avoided by owners being responsible, by taking action; stop thinking it won’t happen to you, your dog wouldn’t do that, and remember that any dog has the ability to cause harm.”
A spokesperson for police told H&H the horse concerned was checked by its owner after the incident and no injuries were seen.
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