A TEENAGER has suffered painful bite wounds to her legs, resulting in hospital treatment after the family dog turned on her.
Yesterday, just before 1pm, police received a call to reports of an incident in Darfield.
Upon arrival, a 17-year-old girl was found with deep wounds to her legs, caused by the family Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
The teenager was taken to hospital for treatment. It is believed that she was in the living room, got up to answer the door and when she returned the dog attacked her.
As enquiries at the home with her parents continued, it was also reported this is not the first time the dog has bitten someone.
The dog was signed over to police and has since been put to sleep.
Police have urged owners to understand your dog and take precaution with children and visitors.
Officers have warned that you are more likely to be bitten by a dog known to you, inside a property than anywhere else. Owners are urged to remember that it can happen to anyone, no matter how well you think you know your pet.
PC Paul Jameson, an officer within the team leading the work on dangerous dogs in South Yorkshire said: “All dogs can be aggressive; they are animals, but some dogs have greater capability to cause harm due to their size and strength and characteristics.
“We always urge parents to never leave children unsupervised with dogs, but in this case, the victim is nearly an adult and did not provoke the dog in any way.
“It’s a stark reminder that all dogs, no matter how long they have been part of your family, can attack. Animals can’t express things to us, but understanding their behaviour, body language, what is normal and not normal, can prevent injury. In certain breeds these signs may not be as obvious or easy to identify as others.
“Children should never be unsupervised when with dogs, even family pets that you believe ‘would never hurt’ your children.
“A dog’s instinct to protect itself is to bite. Parents should ensure children learn to respect a dog’s space and be encouraged to have boundaries around feeding and resting times.”
