From West Mercia Police:

Yesterday morning (Wednesday 12 July) we reported that a 68-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man had been injured by a family pet at a home in Boughton Avenue in Worcester.

We’re shocked and saddened to say that a second, unconnected, incident happened later the same day when a 9-year-old boy suffered a serious leg injury caused by a dog at a private address in Portefields Road in the city.

Officers were called to the incident shortly before 5pm yesterday. The child was taken to hospital by his family where he is being treated. The dog was recovered by officers and is secured in kennels. 

Superintendent Rebecca Love said: “Both of these incidents will have been incredibly traumatic for the families involved and we are wishing all three people injured a safe and quick recovery.

“A formal process with a qualified vet has to be followed to establish the breed of dogs involved and that work is underway.

“Nobody expects a loved family pet to turn aggressive and injure their owner, or anyone else, but it’s important to remember that any dog can bite.

“If you are worried about your dog’s behaviour, we encourage you to contact your local vet for advice and support. If you are genuinely concerned that a dog is dangerously out of control, has bitten a person or another animal or is likely to do so, then you can contact us.”