November 17, 2024, 12:19 p.m

South Yorkshire Police confirmed 13 reports of ‘dangerous dogs’ in just 48 hours.

A man was left with serious facial injuries, while a woman was left fearing for the safety of her baby.

A statement on the Yorkshire Police website said: “As dogs causing injury and fear in our communities continue to place a significant demand on our forces, we are urging owners to step up before someone dies.

“On Thursday (November 14) at 3.22pm we were alerted by the ambulance service to a man who had been attacked by his own dog in Sheffield.

“The dog, an American bulldog, had attacked him when the owner tried to separate the bulldog and a pickpocket inside the property.

“The owner suffered injuries to his face, neck and head and was taken to hospital. The dog was seized and remains in the police kennel.”

Read more: Two children and woman injured by pack of four ‘dangerous out of control’ dogs when arrested

Read more: XL Bullies have created a ‘new burden for police’ as forces have to look after dogs awaiting hearings

The force confirms another incident happened when “a woman walking home with her child in a carrier on her chest” was approached by an XL Bully.

The dog behaved in an “aggressive” manner before jumping on her child.

In a third incident, an elderly woman and her grandson were attacked by another loose dog in Sheffield. Police have not confirmed the dog’s breed.

Chief Inspector Emma Cheney, who leads dangerous dog work in South Yorkshire, said in the statement: “Recently we have unfortunately seen another fatal incident in the UK of a dog causing death.

“People think it won’t happen to them, that their dog won’t hurt them, 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 take people to court.”

Police have issued a warning to dog owners, explaining that dangerous dogs come at a financial cost to police every time they respond.

Mrs Cheney added: “We only have a limited number of resources, attending dangerous incidents with dogs takes officers away from other calls. If every owner steps up and makes small changes, we can make a difference.”

Dog owners are advised to visit the Blue Cross website to learn about training their dogs and how to teach children how to behave around dogs.