Woman's leg left 'hanging off' after husky bite

The woman was attacked by a husky cross in her home (stock image)

A woman has been taken to hospital after a bite from a dog left her leg "hanging off".

South Yorkshire Police has issued advice to pet owners after officers responded to four incidents of family dogs attacking people within 48 hours.

The first call on Sunday was for the victim, aged in her 60s, who was left with serious injuries when she was mauled by a rottweiler/husky crossbreed in Armthorpe, near Doncaster.

Ch Insp Emma Cheney said that dog attacks, many of them in people's homes, had become a “daily occurrence" for the force.

'Unprecedented demand'

South Yorkshire Police released graphic images of the woman's injuries, which showed a large chunk of flesh missing from her calf muscle. The person who called 999 described her leg as "hanging off".

Later the same afternoon, a 20-year-old woman was bitten by a Belgian Malinois which had displayed aggression towards another member of her family. When the victim tried to intervene, the dog attacked her. She suffered deep puncture wounds to her arms and required hospital treatment.

The third incident took place the next morning, 23 September, when a 33-year-old woman was bitten by an XL bully at her own home in Maltby, near Rotherham.

She was feeding another dog when the animal became aggressive and she suffered a broken wrist and bite wounds to her hands, arms and torso.

The final call within the 48-hour period involved a 13-year-old boy who was left with minor injuries after being attacked by a Cane Corso breed.

Ch Insp Cheney said: “We are continuing to see an unprecedented demand on our force, as well as other organisations, such as the NHS.

“Please, please take action. Simple steps can be the difference between life and death.”

South Yorkshire Police confirmed all of the dogs involved in the incidents were seized and remain in secure kennels.

The force advised dog owners to make sure children were not left alone with pets, only walk them on a lead in public places and ensure their dog had a safe space to go to when there were visitors in the house.

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