Pictures show 'PH Urbane' with several bright-red open wounds covering its legs and torso while recovering in a stables

A police horse suffered multiple injuries after being attacked by an out-of-control dog in a park while heroic witnesses tried to stop the animal.

Pictures released today show PH Urbane with several open wounds covering his legs and torso after footage, captured yesterday by a witness in Victoria Park, London, showed him being bitten by what appeared to be an American-style bulldog.

The chaotic scenes saw officers screaming for the dog to be put on a lead as members of the public intervened, with one man using a long stick to try to get the animal away from Urbane.

Officers were heard shouting ‘get the dog now’, ‘get the dog’ and ‘get on with it’ as they tried to control their horses during the incident, which is believed to have gone on for roughly five minutes.

A man dressed in camouflage clothing appears to be the owner, who seemingly stands back while other people intervene. 

The Met Police has now revealed that the horse, whose partner collapsed and died at Notting Hill Carnival in 2022, had now been to the vets and was having some ‘well-earned recuperation’.

DO YOU KNOW THE DOG OWNER? Email [email protected] or [email protected]

Pictures show 'PH Urbane' with several bright-red open wounds covering its legs and torso while recovering in a stables

Pictures show ‘PH Urbane’ with several bright-red open wounds covering its legs and torso while recovering in a stables

The Metropolitan Police shared the images and gave 'huge thanks' to the heroic witnesses who 'tried to help Urbane' from being attacked by what looked like an American-style bulldog

The Metropolitan Police shared the images and gave ‘huge thanks’ to the heroic witnesses who ‘tried to help Urbane’ from being attacked by what looked like an American-style bulldog

 

An officer dismounted the horse after the dog is moved away and shouted for the dog to be put on a lead immediately

An officer dismounted the horse after the dog is moved away and shouted for the dog to be put on a lead immediately

Officers shared the images and gave ‘huge thanks’ to the heroic witnesses who ‘tried to help Urbane’ from being attacked by what looked like an American-style bulldog.

They added: ‘He will hopefully be back on duty as soon as he has fully recovered but not before.’

During the footage, an officer can be seen dismounting a horse after the dog is moved away.

WHICH DOGS ARE BANNED IN THE UK? 

It is illegal to own four breeds of dogs without an exemption from a court. They are:

  • American pitbull terriers
  • Japanese tosas
  • Dogo Argentinos
  • Fila Brazileiro

The law also criminalises cross-breeds of the above four types of dog – meaning that whether a dog is prohibited will depend on a judgement about its physical characteristics and whether they match the description of a prohibited ‘type’.

A witness, 37, told the Sun she was walking her dog when she saw the other canine looking at the horses.

She said: ‘It was shocking and scary. You could tell it was bad. I spotted the dog and the body language was way too interested in the horses and was going over to antagonise them.

‘The officers were trying to get the owner to get the dog under control and secured.’

She said one person managed to grab the dog but the owner then took his time to put the dog on a lead.

The witness added she was ‘apologetic’ she couldn’t do anything to help but felt she had to keep her own dog under control.

She accused some owners of the type of dog breed as only buying them for the ‘status’ and urged dog owners to keep their pets on a lead.

The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment.

A report from February this year revealed there had been 18 deadly dog attacks since January 2020, with last year being the deadliest on record.

12 people, ranging from a 17-month-old toddler to an 83-year-old pensioner, were killed in dog attacks across England and Wales over a 12-month period – with experts pointing to several concerning trends potentially being behind the spate of disturbing killings.

James McNally, who has been dubbed Britain’s ‘dog bite solicitor’ and a personal injury claim expert with Slee Blackwell Solicitors, has previously said he had seen a rise in the number of dog bite claims in recent years.

Earlier this year he told MailOnline how he had more than 180 clients and his inbox was ballooning with fresh enquiries every day.

Mr McNally said: ‘Some of the worst injuries we’re seeing are by those beloved household pets; Collies, Jack Russells, Huskies. Any dog can cause injury at any time.

One of the mounts is thought to have suffered leg injuries and both are traumatised after the dog bit at their legs and body

One of the mounts is thought to have suffered leg injuries and both are traumatised after the dog bit at their legs and body

‘We’ve had a lady who lost the tip of her nose, delivery drivers missing fingers. There are cases we’re dealing with where a child has been scalped by the dog and suffered serious facial injuries – they’re all horrible.

‘In a lot of the cases we’re seeing, the way I see it is that it’s the family dogs.

‘I think the pandemic puppy boom has probably contributed to the rising number of dog bites, experts have raised huge concerns about puppy farms and I think a lot of us are just not aware of this entire world of dog breeding.

‘Ultimately, it’s a bit of a Wild West out there. We had the wrong dogs, being bred by the wrong people, going to the wrong homes.

‘It’s a recipe for disaster and was fuelling the fire.’

The number of dog attacks has prompted some to call for a revamp on the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 – legislation which saw a blanket ban imposed on four specific ‘fighting-style’ breeds in the UK; the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasiliero.

The act was introduced 30 years ago by Home Secretary Kenneth Baker ‘to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs’ after a string of attacks.

Owners can get an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to six months if a dog is dangerously out of control.

They may not be allowed to own a dog in the future and the dog may be destroyed.

If owners let their dog injure someone they can be sent to prison for up to five years or fined. If they deliberately use a dog to injure someone they could be charged with ‘malicious wounding’.

And if they allow a dog to kill someone they can be sent to prison for up to 14 years or get an unlimited fine.

Aggression in dogs is almost always a case of fear – using their bite as a last resort method of self-defence or to get a frightening or unpleasant experience to stop.

Such fears can arise due to early years puppy socialisation or past experiences. 

Owners should be able to recognise and establish how a dog is feeling, with many giving off warning signals before an attack.

There are several signals that dogs can give to indicate they are worried, fearful or feeling stressed and these include: yawning or licking lips, crouching with their tail between their legs, wagging tails and growling.

If a dog is showing any signs of aggression, a vet should be consulted to determine if there is a medical cause, such as pain or discomfort. 

Failing that, speaking to a behavioural expert could help tame a more aggressive animal. 

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