United Kingdom: 'Nice quiet man' killed by his pit bull mix inside his Cumbria home

UNITED KINGDOM -- A dad was mauled to death as his two daughters tried desperately to drag a ferocious dog off him.

The 45-year-old, named locally as Stephen Hodgson, died at his home on Robert Owen Avenue, Cleator Moor, after the dog attacked him around his head and neck causing serious injuries.

Cumbria police inspector Gary Hunter said the Mr Hodgson’s two teenage daughters were believed to have pulled the dog away from their dad before calling police.

He said: “The information we have so far is that it’s a family pet that’s attacked one of the owners who was inside the property. It attacked the male around the head and neck area and the two children, 19 and 16, have tried to pull the dog away.”

Daughter Carla said: ‘Buster was biting dad’s throat and there was suddenly a lot of blood. We were doing anything we could to get him off. He didn’t have a collar to hold onto so we were just pulling him. I had hold of his back legs and was trying to drag him off but he was just too strong.’

Mr Hodgson’s children successfully got the dog, believed to be a Staffordshire pit bull mix, off Mr Hodgson and put it in a bedroom before calling police at about 2pm on Sunday.

Officers soon arrived followed by paramedics and the Great North Air Ambulance Service. Medics spent half an hour trying to resuscitate Mr Hodgson but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Another article said, "...Staffordshire-pit bull cross tore into his throat and ripped his jugular vein – triggering a fatal heart attack."

In an interview, Insp Hunter added: “In 20 years I’ve never seen anything like that. The dog had been angry for a good three hours or so. The dog was still in a room quite close to the landing. The door wasn’t that secure and behind the door the dog was barking very loudly and trying to get out.”

Specially trained dog handlers were called in but they were unable to subdue the dog.

At one point police even considered calling a vet with a tranquilizer gun but eventually, after pepper spray failed, officers were forced to use a Taser gun that killed the dog.

The attack happened inside this house

Three other dogs that were in the house at the time are now in police kennels, where they will be assessed and tested to find out exactly what kind of breed they are.

Similar tests will also be carried out on the dog that attacked Mr Hodgson by a specialist in dangerous breeds to establish whether it was one of those.

An investigation is now underway into the incident, which will also look into who owns the dogs.

A spokesman from Cumbria police said the death was not being treated as suspicious and the coroner had been informed.

Neighbors said Mr Hodgson was a “nice, quiet man”, who “kept himself to himself” and was “well-known in the town”.

Mr Hodgson’s death has triggered national discussion about animals perceived as dangerous dogs.

Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko said: “While we do not know the circumstances regarding this terrible incident, our deepest sympathies go to the family of the victim. Dogs are part of the family but it is important to remember that they are animals and it is crucial to ensure that they are properly trained and socialized and kept mentally and physically stimulated.”

Buster, the pit bull mix which killed his owner

She added that the problem of dangerous dogs is a social one and needs to be tackled through the enforcement of effective legislation that seeks to better educate the dog owning public to prevent incidents before they occur.

“Currently there is no bite register or central database in order to log information regarding bite incidents,” she said.

“It is our view that this could be achieved through establishing a central reporting system, provided there was a mandatory requirement for police, hospitals, behaviorists and veterinarians to input the data. This would help to ensure preventative measures are put in place.”

(News and Star UK - May 25, 2016)