Man in his 50s suffers serious injuries in Sunderland dog attack as man, 44, arrested and animal is destroyed
4 October 2023, 08:17
A man has been arrested after another man was seriously injured in a dog in Sunderland, Northumbria Police said.
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The force said it received a report of an attack at an address in Maple Terrace in Shiney Row, Sunderland, at around 6.55pm.
A man in his 50s was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The force said a 44-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident and remains in custody, while the dog was "destroyed at the scene to ensure the safety of the public".
A second dog was also seized from the address as a precaution, police said.
Northumbria Police have assured the public there is no wider risk to the community.
Officers will remain in the area to offer reassurance to the community at this time.
Police have urged people not to speculate online about the dogs or the attack while enquiries are ongoing, including on social media.
They have not confirmed what breed of dog was destroyed or seized.
The latest attack comes as the Government looks to ban American XL bully dogs in response to a series of attacks.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to ban the breed in September under the Dangerous Dogs Act by the end of the year.
An official spokesman for Mr Rishi said a "transition period" would be introduced, with details likely to follow a consultation on the plan.
Owners could face a requirement to neuter their dogs and muzzle them in public, the Government's chief vet has suggested.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said in September: "We will need to safely manage the existing population of these dogs. Exactly what that looks like will be a topic for the consultation.
"And there will need to be some sort of transition period."
Early in September, a 60-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a dog dangerously out of control after two men and an 11-year-old girl were injured by an XL bully crossbreed in Birmingham.
In a separate incident Ian Price, a 52-year-old from Staffordshire, died in hospital after being attacked by two XL bullies.
Police cordons remained in place at Maple Terrace overnight.
A large police presence was at the scene on Wednesday morning, with officers stationed in Maple Terrace and neighbouring Lowerson Avenue.
Around half of Maple Terrace was cordoned off at the side of the street which overlooks a grassy area popular with dog walkers.
One man said he had heard about the attack, and that a window had been broken during the incident.
But he did not remember seeing any XL bullies in the area.
He said: "There's dogs all over here."
