Update as more details revealed about aftermath of dog attack
More details have been revealed about the aftermath of a reported dog attack near Swindon's town centre.
Armed officers, more than a dozen police cars, a land ambulance, and the Bath and Wiltshire Air Ambulance attended Exeter Street on Sunday afternoon to deal with the incident.
Wiltshire Police confirmed to the Adver that a man in his 50s was injured in the alleged dog attack and suffered injuries that were described as life-changing.
He was taken by helicopter to Bristol's Southmead hospital for treatment.
Police have since confirmed that the injuries he has received are not thought to be life-threatening.
The spokesperson added that although the county force has not yet formally assessed the breed of the dog, the owner had self-declared it to be an XL Bully.
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The 24-year-old woman who owns the dog and was arrested at the scene on suspicion of has since been released on bail while officers' enquiries continue.
Eyewitnesses who were in the street at the time described hearing her pleading with firearms officers to 'not shoot her dog'.
It is further understood from accounts of neighbours that the victim was not a stranger to the dog, and had often been seen walking the pet around the area.
He is believed to have been looking after the dog for its owner at the time of the incident.
Police dog handlers and officers were able to sedate the dog without the need for further deadly intervention and are currently caring for it in police kennels.
Officers have confirmed there is not thought to be a further threat to the public.
An Advertiser investigation into the cost to police of managing the new laws surrounding the ownership of XL Bullys revealed that it had risen exponentially in the last year.
We submitted an FOI request to the force to find out how many dangerous dogs had been seized in the last five years and how much it had cost Wiltshire Police to house these dogs in kennels after the law changed regarding XL Bully ownership in February 2024.
In 2024, there were 72 dogs seized, nearly five times as many as the 15 seized in 2020.
During the intervening period, there were 26 dogs seized in 2021, 23 in 2022 and 29 in 2023.
As of February, the costs to date for the current year stood at £266,280, up massively from £33,437 in the period from 2020 to 2021.
From 2023 to 2024, when the law changed, Wiltshire Police spent £84,504 on kennel costs for dangerous dogs.
(Image: From public) A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: "The cost of kennelling dangerous dogs has risen significantly in the past year due to increased fees combined with the fact we are seizing far more dogs since the law around XL bullies changed.
"This has resulted in a much higher workload for officers in our Dog Section, who have swiftly adapted and work hard to keep Wiltshire safe.
"It is important to remember that at the heart of this subject are human victims - some of whom have suffered life-altering injuries from dangerous dogs.
"We will continue to enforce the law and seize banned breeds and any breed of dog which is suspected to be dangerously out of control.
"For more information about this subject, please visit the website."
Police are appealing for witnesses for this incident, and anyone who saw what happened or has information that could help with the police's investigation is encouraged to call 101 quoting reference number 54250050707.
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