Shocking footage shows a mother trying to protect her young daughter and her pet dog after an out of control dog attacked them.
The woman was pushing her one-year-old child in a trike while walking her dog when a Staffordshire bull terrier came running up to them on Richmond Road in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK on September 2.
The dog attack
The bull terrier then attacked the woman’s dog while she tried to move her daughter ( who can be heard crying), out of the way.
In the horrifying video, the mother can be heard screaming ‘take your dog, get off him’ as she attempted to move her pet away while protecting her daughter.
Eventually, the dog’s owner managed to grab his dog and move them out of the way.
The larger dog mauled the woman’s pet and it had to be treated at a local vet.
The woman and her young daughter received superficial injuries.
How to take responsibility for your dogs
Dog legislation officer PC Paul Jameson is now urging pet owners to take responsibility for their dogs and to prevent them from escaping.
He said: ‘Your dog is your responsibly. If it attacks someone or causes fear in our communities, you are the one held responsible, you are the one facing prosecution, but your dog could also face being euthanised.
‘If you know your dog can escape your garden, fix it.
‘Build higher fences, put a lock on the gate, put up signage for people to be aware, and not enter.
‘Keep your dog on a lead, and if you know your dog doesn’t like other dogs, walk it in quieter areas and not during busy times.
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‘it’s dangerous to apply human thinking to a dog’s behaviour’.
‘Don’t be complacent. Don’t think it won’t happen, don’t think you know your dog best.
‘They’re animals – even the most relaxed animals in certain situations can be subjected to stress, which may cause a response born from fear.
‘It’s an animal’s instinct and it’s our role to understand those situations, spot the signs your dog is giving you and remove them, or the stressor.
‘Dogs think like dogs and it’s dangerous to apply human thinking to a dog’s behaviour.
‘The same goes within your own home; teach your children from a young age to respect dogs, don’t let them climb or jump on them, ensure your dog has somewhere quiet to go that is their space, away from family life.
‘Sometimes simple common-sense, low-cost changes can make the difference.’
