South Yorkshire Police facing "unprecedented" number of dangerous dog calls
More than 30 calls about dangerous dogs were made to the force in the first weekend of July
South Yorkshire Police claim they are facing "unprecedented demand" to tackle dangerous dogs, with 32 calls made in one weekend.
The force said two of those led to serious injuries, with 999 calls made within just 20 minutes of each other.
During on incident in Goldthorpe, an English Bull Dog had attacked its owner, causing serious injuries to her hands and arms, leaving her needing surgery.
She was taken to hospital in an ambulance and the dog was seized.
A second incident in Doncaster saw officers called out to reports of a German Shepherd attacking 'an innocent dog and its owner in the street'.
Chief Inspector Emma Cheney, leading the work on dangerous dogs in South Yorkshire said: “We are continuing to see incidents of dangerous dogs across South Yorkshire and during 2024, we have seized over 500 dogs for various reasons.
“Our priority is to protect the public, and innocent members of our communities. Last week we sadly saw a two-year-old girl mauled by a loose dog; this is not acceptable and irresponsible ownership will be dealt with by the courts.
“Every time we attend an incident, it comes at a cost, including the resources responding and kennelling, as well as the additional pressure on the ambulance service and hospitals caring for those injured.
“Owners must take action. If you own a dog, be a responsible dog owner and protect yourself, your family and those living near to you.”