Advice issued on how to keep children safe around dogs following spate of horrific attacks

In the most serious incident, dad-of-five Jonathan Hogg, 37, died on Friday, May 19 after being mauled by an out-of-control dog – believed to be an American Bully XL – on Westleigh Lane, Leigh.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog causing injury resulting in death and a 22-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of money laundering. They were both bailed as the investigation continued.

And on Monday, May 8, emergency services were called to reports of a dog that was “dangerously out of control” at a house on Thomas Street, Hindley Green.

A man and a woman were taken to hospital with what was described at the time as “serious and potentially life-changing injuries, which are not believed to be life-threatening”.

Earlier in the year, a council binman is believed to have been attacked by three large American bullmastiffs while doing his rounds in Bamfurlong in March.

PC Mark Richardson, who is with the tactical dog unit with Greater Manchester Police, has now provided valuable advice to anyone who has care of a child on how to act around dogs, as part of Child Safety Week.

He said: "Dogs should be approached in a sensible way. If you and your child are walking past a dog, then being calm and not drawing attention to it or yourself, is the correct way, as this also keeps the dog calm

"Do not make eye contact with the dog, as this will get their attention and it will want to come over to you and your child

"Body language can have a big impact on how a dog reacts. So if your child is excited to see a dog and runs over to stroke it, this can spook the dog and it may not react well

"Looking at the body language of a dog is often an indicator of how they are feeling. If their head and ears are low, this is an indicator that they don’t want to be approached or stroked and it’s better to leave them alone.

"It isn’t just big dogs you need to be aware of. Small dogs can also cause injury if you’re not aware of what the dog is doing. For example, if they are playing with a ball and your child tries to take the ball of them with the intention of playing with them, the dog won’t necessarily know this and can react to this negatively.

"Children will often want to cuddle a dog as their way of showing love to them, but this can startle the dog and cause them to bite

"Looking at the body language of a dog is often an indicator of how they are feeling. If their head and ears are low, this is an indicator that they don’t want to be approached or stroked and it’s better to leave them alone

"Even the loveliest looking dog has its limits and has the potential to bite. Don’t put your child in a position where these things can happen.

"Be aware of what the dog is doing and being alert to the possible dangers is the best way of keeping your child safe around dogs.”