Woman Arrested After Her ‘Loose’ Dog Allegedly Attacked 2 Children

A woman in England has been arrested after her dog allegedly attacked two children.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in Bolton — about 12 miles outside Manchester — said officers were alerted to a reported dog attack on Halliwell Road on Monday, Jan. 5.

Police said two children were bitten by a loose dog and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

On Friday, Jan. 9, GMP announced that a 47-year-old woman had been arrested on suspicion of having a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.

Police said the children have since been discharged from the hospital. The dog was seized and taken to a kennel for assessment, and the woman remains in custody for questioning.

The arrest comes just days after another reported dog incident in Bolton. GMP said that on Wednesday, Jan. 7, they received a report of an “out-of-control dog biting a woman” on Wolfenden Street.

The victim sustained minor injuries, and the dog was seized following the incident near Rawsthorne Park. Police said one person was arrested, then released on bail pending further inquiries.

A police spokesperson said the person arrested was not walking the dog at the time but was the owner and had a responsibility to ensure the animal was under the control of someone suitable. Police also said they were still working to identify who was handling the dog when the bite occurred.

Police said the two cases are unrelated and involved different dogs.

Dog attacks have become a major topic in the U.K. in recent years, particularly amid restrictions on the XL bully breed — though the breeds involved in these Bolton incidents have not been made public.

In December 2023, XL bullies were added to the list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991. It is now illegal to breed, sell, abandon, give away, or knowingly allow an XL bully to stray in England and Wales without a certificate of exemption. In February 2024, owning an XL bully without an exemption certificate was also criminalized, according to the BBC.

While there are no official U.K. statistics on dog attacks by breed, police data collected by the BBC indicates dog attacks in England and Wales have increased by 34% over the past five years.