A man is fighting for life after being mauled by an “out of control” dog which had attacked another man just minutes before.
Armed police were called to the Tinto View area of Hamilton on Tuesday evening after reports of a “large bulldog-type dog” attacking a man.
The victim of the dog attack has since been rushed to hospital for treatment of “life-threatening” injuries, Police Scotland said. Police shot the dog dead after it attempted to attack an officer.
A second man was also injured by the same dog in Hamilton’s Loudonhill Avenue, the next street over, and was taken to a hospital in East Kilbride for treatment to minor injuries.
The force said it had referred itself to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC), the police watchdog in Scotland, because a gun was discharged, as is standard practice.
Superintendent Steven Espie said: “This was a distressing incident for those involved. I would like to reassure the local community that this was a contained incident and there is no further risk to the public.
“There will be a continued police presence in the area while our enquiries continue. Enquiries are also ongoing to establish the breed of the dog.”
The Daily Record reported that the animal had been rescued from England.
In England and Wales, it is illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon or let XL Bully dogs stray after a ban was introduced. Further restrictions will come into force from February.
There had been concerns that the dogs could be taken over the border by some breeders into Scotland, where different laws apply, but the Scottish Government has since confirmed it will replicate the same ban seen elsewhere in the UK.
The ban was introduced after a spate of high-profile dog attacks, with 23 people losing their lives after maulings in the last three years. XL Bully dogs have been attributed to some of those deaths.
However, the ban had been opposed by some animal rights’ groups, including the Dog’s Trust, which argued breed-specific bans were not the best way to tackle a rise in dog attacks.
