Witnesses tried to help a 52-year-old man after he was attacked by two large dogs outside a property. The incident took place on Thursday afternoon in Stonnall, Staffordshire, and also prompted police to stop a group of children from leaving a nearby elementary school for ‘safety reasons’.
The victim, 52-year-old Ian Price, was found at the scene with multiple life-threatening injuries. He was immediately taken to Birmingham Hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
According to police, the two dogs that were involved in the attack were American XL bullies. However, further testing is currently being conducted.
In response to the fatal incident and other recent attacks, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the UK, has promised to ban the breed as he believes they are a danger to individuals.
As for the dogs involved in the attack, one of them died after being restrained by officers while the second was euthanized by a vet. Their owner, a 30-year-old Lichfield man, was arrested on manslaughter charges as he was in charge of the dogs who were dangerously out of control. Police were also given additional time to question the man on Friday evening.
Tracy Meir, the superintendent, offers her condolences to the family and friends of the man who lost his life in the fatal dog attack. She also emphasized that they’re continuing to support his loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.
Detectives have taken statements from witnesses and are continuing to investigate the incident. They’ve also done house-to-house questioning in the local neighborhood and have viewed CCTV footage. They are also urging anyone with information on the attack to come forward.
Meanwhile, authorities in London are trying to find the owner of a large pitbull-type dog that mauled a four-year-old child on Monday. According to media outlets, the animal shook the child so hard that his shoes fell off. Fortunately, he survived but suffered severe bites to his legs, which required surgery.
Last weekend, an 11-year-old girl was also severely mauled by an XL bully-type dog in Birmingham. Shocking footage revealed the incident, which showed the extent of her injuries. It came in the face of growing concern about dangerous dogs and prompted officials to consider a ban on the breed.
However, some are concerned that the ban will not be a practical move as the XL bully is not officially recognized as a breed by the Kennel Club, which can lead other breeds of dog to be affected by the ban as well.
The recent incidents have also led officials to consider overhauling the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act so that it focuses on “the deed rather than the breed”.
