A PENSIONER who lives next to a house from hell where a brutal mauling left three injured has told how she feels like a prisoner in her own home over fear of being savaged.
The “aggressive” hounds brutally attacked the mum and two young kids living next door to the woman, in her 70s, on Friday evening.
Police on the scene where a mum and two children were injured in a dog attack[/caption]
They are thought to be American Bullies, a non banned breed which has been involved in a spate of recent fatal attacks.
Witnesses said the trio were left “covered in blood and bite marks” following the terrifying mauling.
A man, in his early 20s, was arrested on suspicion of assault, coercive and controlling behaviour and being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog. He remains in custody.
Officers seized four dogs from the property in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, which today remains empty.
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The only signs of occupation are the piles of rubbish in both the front and back gardens.
The OAP, who lives alone in a neighbouring period terraced house, today told how she has felt trapped inside for months through fear of the animals.
After her long-term neighbour moved out, a couple bought the property to rent out as a business venture and new tenants moved in 18 months ago.
Despite a ‘no pets’ rule, the family kept a dog – which then increased to four.
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The pensioner, who has lived happily in her peaceful and well kept home for 40 years, said: “I’m stuck like a prisoner in my own home.
“I’m too terrified to go out because of the dogs running wild, the mess, and the stench. It is horrible.”
The concerned resident told how a gate, less than 3ft high, partitions their homes amidst a higher fence.
She said she asked the tenants to fit a taller structure as she was worried about the four dogs jumping over and attacking her, but was told it was the landlord’s responsibility.
However, when she contacted the landlord, they claimed it was the tenants’.
She has now had to put three wheelie bins in front of the low gate to act as a barricade.
“It is terrifying,” she said. “They could easily leap over the gate and attack.
“The dogs are constantly barking and appear very aggressive.”
‘VERY AGGRESSIVE’
Recalling the moment the horror unfolded on Friday, the woman said she didn’t take much notice at first as “the house is always so noisy”, but she soon realised the commotion wasn’t a party.
“I heard all this shouting and the dog’s continuously barking. It sounded bad,” she said.
“Another neighbour called the police but was told that they had already been alerted and were on their way.
“The mum and kids were rushed to hospital, the man was arrested and the dogs taken away.”
Derbyshire Police said officers were called to reports of a domestic incident at around 6pm on August 12.
A woman in her 20s was found to have been assaulted and bitten by a dog, while two young boys had also been attacked by the animals.
A third youngster was hurt during the incident, but none of of their injuries are believed to be life-threatening.
The retired woman’s concerned son visited her today to install CCTV and described the events, and her living conditions, as hellish.
I’m stuck like a prisoner in my own home.
He said: “My mother has had to put up with so much since the house was rented out. It has been a nightmare.
“My sister stayed with her for some comfort, but she couldn’t sleep because of the continuous noise from the dogs.
“The couple also don’t put their rubbish out in bins, they just chuck it in the garden for the dogs to rip apart, so there is mess everywhere.”
Another man, who lives nearby, added: “I want her to come and stay with me but she refuses to be driven out of her home.”
The woman says she has repeatedly contacted Erewash Council’s environmental health and dog handling departments but feels like she is “fighting a losing battle”.
She said even with “piles of junk and dog faeces” in the front and back gardens, the authorities didn’t want to know.
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“It is disgusting and in breach of environmental health regulations,” she added.
“The council put out skips and some rubbish was taken away, but there I still lots of it. It is unhygienic.”
The house where dogs attacked a mum and two children[/caption]
An OAP neighbour said she feels trapped in her own home through fear of the hounds[/caption]
Banned dog breeds
In the UK, it’s against the law to own certain types of dog. These are the:
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Japanese Tosa
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro
It’s also against the law to:
- Sell a banned dog
- Abandon a banned dog
- Give away a banned dog
- Breed from a banned dog
