UNITED KINGDOM -- Police have put down a dog who tore a chunk out of a nineteen year old girls leg as she tried to help the wandering animal.
The lost female bull terrier struck out on Thursday night in a wild attack on a woman in Mylor, near Falmouth in West Cornwall.
The police hunted for the animal overnight and caught up with her in the early hour of this morning.
The lost female bull terrier struck out on Thursday night in a wild attack on a woman in Mylor, near Falmouth in West Cornwall.
The police hunted for the animal overnight and caught up with her in the early hour of this morning.
A spokeswoman said: “We’re keen to reassure the local community that a dog that severely bit a woman yesterday evening, Thursday 28 June 2012, has been located and caught.
“Police were called to an incident that took place at around 1015 pm on Thursday 28 June 2012 on Comfort Road between the Norway Inn and Mylor Primary School in the Mylor Bridge area of Falmouth.
“An injured and terrified woman called police to say a dog had bitten her and it was attempting to chew its way into her car.
“Seconds earlier the woman had approached a dog that was in the middle of the road as she was concerned for its welfare. As the woman approached, the dog attacked her and bit her legs causing severe injury. The woman fortunately was able to quickly get to safety inside her car.
“When emergency services arrived the dog ran off.
“The woman, aged 19, was taken to Treliske Hospital by paramedics where surgery was required on her leg.
“As the incident was in close proximity to the school, police sergeant Tim Wilson who was in charge at the scene made the decision that the dog must be located as soon as possible.
“There were concerns that this dog was dangerous and there was potential for the dog to attack someone else, possibly a child in the morning on their way to school.
“At around 2.20am officers located the dog but initially were unable to capture and it ran off.
“Around an hour later the dog was located again and it was cornered.
“A police dog handler, PC Phil Nankivell, needed to use a padded arm sleeve, used for training dogs, to get the dog into a cage in the police car. In the process the dog managed to damage part of the car, a dog loop and a police hat.
“The dog, described as a female Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was taken to a vets.
“The decision was made to put the dog down. This was due to the dogs aggressiveness, because it had already been bitten a member of the public and police has so far been unable to trace the owner.
A police spokesman said: “We are keen to reassure the local community that this dog has now been caught and destroyed.
“A woman has had a nasty bite from this dog and if it wasn’t for the good work of police officers someone else could have been seriously hurt.
“A child could have been killed.”
“Our advice is not to approach an unknown dog. If anyone has concerns call the police or RSPCA so it can be dealt with properly.”
Police are keen to trace the owner of the dog, described as a female, tan coloured Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
(Cornwall Community News - June 28, 2012)
