'BEFORE SOMEONE DIES'
Cops issue warning after 13 horrific dog attacks in just 48hrs – including man left with face gashes & baby at risk
The region has been hit by a wave of horrifying attacks in recent months
COPS have issued an urgent warning to dog owners to "step up before someone dies" after 13 horrific attacks in less than 48 hours.
South Yorkshire Police said incidents of dangerous dogs included a man left with serious facial injuries and a woman fearing for her baby's safety.
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The force added that owners who did "not step up" and prevent harm would not be tolerated.
Police said in the release that a man was attacked by his own dog in Sheffield on Thursday at 3.22pm.
The American Bulldog had attacked when the owner attempted to separate the bulldog and a pocket bully inside a property.
The owner suffered lacerations to his face, neck and head and was taken to hospital.
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The dog was seized and remains in police kennels.
Further calls included a woman walking home with her baby in a carrier on her chest.
She was approached by a loose XL Bully who began to show aggression and jump up to her baby.
Meanwhile an elderly woman and her grandchild were attacked by another loose dog in Sheffield.
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It comes just days after a "wonderful" little girl, 10, was mauled to death by an XL Bully in North Yorkshire.
Chief Inspector Emma Cheney, leading the work on dangerous dogs across South Yorkshire, said: "Recently we have sadly seen another fatal incident in the UK of a dog causing death.
Terrifying moment Sheffield mum fights off loose dog and desperately shields baby during horrific attack
"People think it won't happen to them, that their dog won't cause harm, but it can happen to anyone.
"Any dog can cause fear and harm and owners who do not step up and prevent harm to our communities will not be tolerated.
"You are responsible for your dog's actions, and we continue to put people before the courts."
South Yorkshire Police said the call outs presented a financial cost to the force and had the added cost of the dogs' care while a decision was made on its future.
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CI Cheney continued: "We only have a limited number of resources, attending dangerous dog incidents takes officers away from other calls.
"If every owner steps up and makes small changes, we can make a difference."
Shocking photos recently showed a little girl's horrific injuries after she was mauled by her family dog.
Police were called to a property in Sheffield on October 25 after reports that a young child was attacked by a two-year-old Doberman.
The dog was laid on the sofa and the girl tried to kiss it but the animal reacted and mauled the child's head.
Horrific photos of the little girl from after the attack showed the side of her face and ears covered in blood, and she was taken to hospital where she required surgery.
The dog responsible for causing injury to the child was seized by South Yorkshire Police officers and will be put to sleep.
Horrifying footage also showed a man being attacked by a dog in Sheffield.
The force received reports of two dogs causing injury to a man and a girl on Dagnam Crescent on September 29 just after 5pm.
It is alleged that the two dogs, believed to be a Mastiff and a Cane Corso, had escaped from a property on the street.
A local resident saw the dogs and put one of them on a lead.
As the man attempted to untangle the lead from one of the dog's legs, they both became reactive and started to attack.
The victim, 47, suffered deep cuts and puncture wounds across his body and was taken to hospital via ambulance and required surgery.
A second victim, 14, suffered minor injuries from attempting to intervene.
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Family pay tribute to 'our wonderful girl' killed by pet
By Summer Raemason & John Siddle
A DEVASTATED family have paid a heartbreaking tribute to their "wonderful" little girl, 10, who was mauled to death by their XL Bully.
Savannah Bentham was attacked by the "new pet" inside their caravan near Malton, North Yorkshire, last Friday at around 4.15pm.
The youngster had been happily playing on swings in a park nearby just before the horror.
Savannah's family have now issued a heartwrenching statement released by North Yorkshire Police.
It reads: "We are utterly shocked and devastated by what happened to Savannah.
"We can't believe we have lost our wonderful girl who we love so much.
"We thank everyone for their support and kindness as we struggle to come to terms with our loss.
"We ask that our family's privacy is respected while we grieve for Savannah."
Locals described the harrowing moment the youngster's mother ran out screaming "my baby's dead".
A gardener at a caravan park next door to the mobile home - based in the storage yard of a utilities company - told how the "piercing" screams from the girl's mother were "etched in my memory".
Keith, 67, said: "It's done me in. I don't drink much but I've drunk all weekend just to hide it. I didn't sleep a wink on Friday. I've just not been able to cope with it. I'll never forget it.
"I'd just got back to the site and I saw armed police fly in and the helicopters 10 minutes later.
"Then I heard the screaming. 'My baby, my baby, my baby, my baby's dead'.
"It was a piercing scream. I'll take it to my grave - it was so harrowing. It'll haunt me until the day I die.
"I'll never forget it. Those screams were horrendous.
"I knew straight away what must have happened - I told my wife 'I think the dog's killed the girl'."
Upon officers' arrival, one dog had been tied to a lamppost.
The second dog remained on the loose and continued to pose a risk to the public.
Firearms officers secured the loose Mastiff in a garden but were unable to safely contain it, and the decision to humanely destroy the dog at the scene was taken.
A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a dog dangerously out of control and obstructing a police officer.
A 39-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of a dog dangerously out of control.
It comes a year after a mum fought off an out of control dog in a desperate attempt to protect her one-year-old daughter.
The woman was walking her dog on Richmond Road, Sheffield, while pushing her young child on a trike on September 2, 2023.
Suddenly, a dog escaped its owner and approached them.
The dog, a Staffordshire bull terrier, began attacking the victim's dog, which required treatment from a vet.
The woman and her daughter both suffered superficial injuries.
In another incident a man was dragged into oncoming traffic during a ferocious dog attack.
The horror unfolded as the man appeared to try to save his own beloved pet - holding a small black pooch above his head as the hound leapt at him.
In the footage, he fights off the tan-coloured bull mastiff-type dog as it latches onto his arm, before pulling him to the ground.
The man then struggles to get away from the dog after it dragged him into the road in Sheffield.
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As he manages to get back to his feet, a BMW hatchback mounts the kerb in what appears to be an attempt to mow the beast down.
Moments later, armed police swarmed the street and the man was raced to hospital with serious injuries.
Which dog breeds are banned in the UK?
THERE are specific regulations in place that prohibit certain dog breeds from being owned or bred in the UK.
So what are the illegal dogs in the UK and why are they illegal? Here's what we know.
Which dog breeds are illegal in the UK?
People tend to think of large, vicious dogs when they imagine being bitten by one.
But the truth is that many types of dogs are known to bite humans, whether provoked or not.
However, it's important to remember that just because a breed tends to bite humans, that doesn't mean that they all do.
British law determines five breeds of dog are illegal to own, breed, sell or give away.
These are an XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro.
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