An elderly man in his 70s was bitten by a German Shepherd while protecting his own dog in Southport’s Kew Woods on Thursday morning. The incident occurred around 10 a.m. as the man was out for a walk with his pet.
According to Merseyside Police, the German Shepherd attempted to bite the man’s dog, prompting the elderly man to intervene. In the process, the dog turned on him, biting him multiple times on his wrist. The victim was later treated at a local hospital.
Following the attack, the German Shepherd and its owner, described as a white male in his 70s, calmly walked away from the scene through a nearby garden centre parking lot.
Detective Inspector Gavin Mulcahy appealed for witnesses, stressing the urgency of locating the dog and its owner to prevent further harm. “The victim sustained several puncture wounds and was understandably distressed. It is crucial that we track down the dog to ensure it doesn’t pose a risk to others,” he stated.
Meanwhile, a similar attack was reported in Swindon over the weekend, where a man in his 50s sustained life-altering injuries from an out-of-control dog. Firearms officers were dispatched to the scene, and a 24-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the incident.
This series of attacks follows a troubling trend, as more than 20,000 dog attacks were reported across England and Wales in the last year, coinciding with the introduction of the XL Bully breed ban. This move, enacted in February 2024 as part of an update to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, follows a surge in fatalities from dog attacks, with 16 reported deaths in 2023, more than double the number from 2022.