Woman hurt and pet killed in dog attack

Armed officers worked to seize the dog responsible and that has been kept in secure kennels.

The incident happened in Laudsdale Road, East Herringthorpe, on Thursday at 11.21pm and was witnessed by children in the vicinity.

Police say if one of those had been attacked, the incident could have resulted in a death.

South Yorkshire Police received a call from the injured woman to say the bull breed dog had attacked her and was continuing to savage her French bulldog pet.

Her injuries were caused as she made a desperate attempt to save her pet and she needed hospital attention.

Armed and response officers descended on the scene and managed to contain the dog using a catch pole.

The dog was seized and taken to police kennels, where it remains.

The owner has been identified and has since signed the dog over to police. It is unclear what will now happen to the dog or whether the owner will face any criminal action.

However, police have confirmed an investigation is still being conducted into how the dog came to be loose and they have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

Leading the work on dangerous dogs, Chief Insp] Emma Cheney said: “This is an horrendous attack that has killed an innocent dog and my thoughts are with its owner.

“Children were close by to this and witnessed the attack, but the reality is this could have been a fatality involving a child.

“We continue to see and respond to dangerous dogs posing a risk in our communities and something must change. It will only be a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously hurt, and owners must act.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact us online, via live chat or by calling 101 quoting incident number 277 of 10 April 2025.

The attack came two days before dog owners were planning a protest outside South Yorkshire Police’s headquarters about dogs being shot by police.

The service insist they use tactics only necessary to keep communities safe