South Yorkshire Police took the decision to release video footage of the man being mauled as part of a long-running campaign to urge dog owners to take more responsibility for their pets’ actions.
They said that the mastiff and a Cane Corso had escaped from a property at around 17:00 BST, and the man who was injured had tried to put one on a lead before both became “reactive” and aggressive.
He required surgery after the attack. The Cane Corso had been tied to a lamp-post when police officers arrived, but the mastiff remained loose.
An armed response unit was called to the scene and the National Police Air Service helicopter was also used to track the dog.
The mastiff was eventually secured in a garden but could not be safely restrained and the decision was taken to euthanise it.
Ch Insp Emma Cheney said: “We are continuing to see people getting hurt in our communities by dogs, and an increase in demand for responding to and investigating incidents being placed on our force.
“During Sunday’s incident, we dispatched several firearms and response officers to the scene for everyone’s safety. The National Police Air Service were also overhead to monitor the loose dog, should it have run further from the scene.
“Two people were arrested and an investigation into the circumstances will now take place.
“The demand isn’t just on our force, but also on the NHS through ambulance responses and hospital treatment.”
She added: “Please take action. If you are a dog owner, think about your circumstances and what steps you can take to increase everyone’s safety. You may think ‘this won’t happen to me’ but it can happen to anyone and you as the owner will be the one responsible for your pet’s actions.”
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