Shocking moment off-lead dog attacks terrified police horses as riders scream ‘grab it'

Scottish Sun

01-05-2025

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THIS is the alarming moment an out of control mutt attacks terrified police horses in a park.
Metropolitan Police officers Sergeant Leon Astley and PC Grace Miller-McCormack were riding Yvonne and Snaffles when the shocking scenes unfolded in West London at around 11.30am.
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Metropolitan Police officers Sergeant Leon Astley and PC Grace Miller-McCormack were riding their horses when the dog launched its attack
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The pet darted between the two police animals
Dramatic bodycam footage from Monday shows the dog erratically darting between the two police animals in Shepard's Bush Green.
It barks at the horses as its owner makes a half hearted effort to draw the brute away.
In a futile attempt to regain control they yell "come here now, fast".
One officer senses the dog could be in danger and tells her colleague: "It's going to get kicked.
"He's literally on the leg."
PC Miller-McCormack shouts to the owner: "Get a hold of your dog now.
"Get away now. You need to grab it."
The footage cuts off as other parkgoers step in to help capture the mutt.
In a statement the Met Police said Yvonne and Snaffles suffered minor injuries but are happy back at their stables.
The officers were unharmed during the dog attack.
Sergeant Astley, from the Met Police's Mounted Branch, said: "What should have been a routine patrol turned out to be unexpectedly eventful, where our hardworking police horses were sadly injured in the course of their duty.
"Fortunately Yvonne and Snaffles are recovering well and being looked after in their stables.
"We know horses are not a common sight in the capital, but we urge all owners to keep their dogs under control to prevent this happening again."
The dog was seized and returned to its owner and no arrests have been made.
Dog owners with an animal seriously out of control can be slapped with an unlimited fine or even sent to jail for up to six months.
But if the pet attacks and injures another person, the owner can be locked up for five years.
Just yesterday we reported on the horrifying moment two dogs mauled their walkers in a broad-daylight attack at a park.
One man was seemingly seriously injured after the nightmare.
The pair of "out of control" dogs - believed to be Staffordshire bull terriers - initially locked onto each other at the Fountain Road Recreation Ground in Tooting, South London.
The struggle lasted nearly five minutes as the walkers repeatedly attempted to get the dogs under control, while they lashed out at them on a recreational basketball court near a kids play area.
The footage was captured by a local resident, who claims he overheard the commotion from his house at 11.50am on Monday (April 28).
He said: "The one gentleman has ended up seriously injured.
"People were shouting to call the police but they were were saying 'no' as they 'don't want their dogs to be locked up'."
Meanwhile, only a few days ago footage was released showing cops tasering an "aggressive" XL Bully after it lunged at officers.
Police were called to a park in Manchester on Friday evening to reports of males carrying machetes.
In the clip, the dog lunged and barks at cops while they arrested its owner, dressed in a tracksuit with his hood up.
Cops said the male released the hound in 'an attempt to evade arrest' in Levenshulme before the chaos began.
The video shows the XL Bully - described by GMP as 'aggressive' - being tasered after police claimed they had attempted to humanely control and retain the animal.
The hound later died at the scene.
Elsewhere, a five-year-old was bitten by a dog in a park - with cops releasing CCTV showing a man and woman they want to speak to.
The unnamed child was treated in hospital after the incident in The Cars, Warsop, near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
The attack happened at around 3.30pm on March 26. Police are asking the two people to come forward "without delay".
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The officers warned the dog would get kicked