HARROWING pictures have shown a little girl covered in blood after suffering horrific injuries when she was mauled by her family dog.
Police were called to a property in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on October 25 after reports that a young child was attacked by a two-year-old Doberman.
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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 show the side of her face and ears covered in blood after the savage attack.
The youngster was rushed 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.
As Halloween and Bonfire Night approach again this year, police have warned dog owners and parents to be alert.
Sergeant Matt Duffy said: “We are continuing to see children bitten by dogs across South Yorkshire.
“We are working hard to reduce the risk from dangerous dogs to our communities, but we need your help.
“You know your family, you know your dog.
“As we approach a time of year where things are slightly different, people are in costumes and you may have more visitors to your home, please take action.
“Also, please remember that when a dog has been exposed to stress or anxiety, it may take a few days for the effects to end.
“It is important you are vigilant and provide your dog with a safe space.”
South Yorkshire Police said they received 126 reports of dangerous dogs between October 28 and November 8, with 34 reports involving a person being seriously injured.
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “As Halloween and Bonfire Night approach, we’re releasing photos of a child mauled by a family dog to urge parents to act.
“As a busy and ‘different’ period approaches, please be aware that any dog can bite and cause serious injuries and you are more likely to be bitten by a familiar dog within your home.
“Urging parents to act, we are sharing photographs of a child recently mauled by a family pet; this can happen to anyone, any dog has the ability to cause harm.”
What is the Dangerous Dogs Act?
After eleven horrific attacks in 1991, Home Secretary Kenneth Baker promised “to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs” by introducing the Dangerous Dogs Act.
The law is often considered controversial.
This is because it focuses on a dog’s breed or looks instead of an individual dog’s behaviour.
Many believe this fails to stem the rise of dog attacks.
According to the RSPCA, over a third of the people killed by dogs since the act was brought in were attacked by legal breeds.
UK’s most dangerous areas for dog attacks
THE UK’s fatal dog attack hotspot has been revealed.
Britain is battling an epidemic of vicious maulings, with incidents last year hitting a 40-year high.
In the last ten years there have been a whopping 41 deaths as a result of vicious hound attacks – and ten of these took place in the last year.
Now, using the latest ONS statistics, The Sun has revealed which county in the UK has seen the most fatalities in the last decade.
From 2013 – present Yorkshire has seen five deaths from dog attacks – making it the most deadly area in Britain.
July 2022 was the most recent fatality – when Joanne Robinson, 43, was savaged by two dogs at a home in Rotherham.
Her boyfriend Jamie Stead, 42, also suffered devastating injuries to his face, hands and chest as he tried to pull the animals off her.
And in September 2020, Elon Jase Ellis-Joynes was only 12 days old when he was fatally bitten by his family’s Chow Chow-cross called Teddy.
Merseyside and South Wales come in joint second for the most deathly dog attacks – with four in each county.
In October 2022 Ann Dunn, 65, died at her home in the Vauxhall area of Liverpool following a horror involving five American bulldogs.
Just two months later, retired nurse Shirley Patrick, 83, passed away in hospital 17 days after suffering “life-threatening injuries” from a dog in her home.
And down the road in November 2021, schoolboy Jack Lis, 10, was mauled to death by an American Bully XL called ‘Beast’ at a friend’s home.
Manchester and Lancashire are the third worst areas for fatalities after seeing two deaths each in the last ten years.
