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Daily Mirror
02-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Terrifying moment police horses chased and attacked by out of control dog in London park
A shocking video caught the moment two police horses were attacked and chased by an out of control bulldog in the middle of a park. An aggressive dog was captured on camera making terrifying attempts to bite the legs of the cop horses Yvonne, 13, and Snaffles, 15, while out on patrol on Shepherd's Bush, West London. The scary attack was unleashed on Monday, April 28, as the dog ran at the horses at around 11:30am as they tried to get away from the attacking animal. Its owner struggled to get the dog back under control, with the public getting involved to help stop it. The video caught the dog first lunging at the white horse's legs in its shock attack, causing the police animal to jump and attempt to get away from the pet. This dog chased after the white horse before it turned around and ran back to the brown police horse. Both Yvonne and Snaffles were left with minor injuries after the scary attack and are recovering well in their stables. Sergeant Leon Astley and PC Grace Miller-McCormack, who were riding them, were left unharmed. Police said they launched an investigation into the terrifying incident but no arrests have been made. The dog was initially seized but it was later returned to its owner, according to MyLondon. 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." Police issued a reminder that a person can receive an unlimited fine and/or be sent to prison for up to six months for having a dog seriously out of control. If the dog injuries someone this can increase to up to five years in prison. Yvonne, recognisable for her big ears, has been a police horse since October 2020, while Snaffles has has previously starred in Activity Ride, the Mounted Branch's performance at Olympia. This has not been the first time an aggressive dog was caught attacking a police horse in public. A shocking moment outside Glasgow High Court saw a medium-sized pet escape his owner and start biting at the ankles of the larger animal, in July 2024. As it anxiously tries to escape the attacking dog, a video showed the horse kicking at it and trying to trot away. The pet's owner and several people on the street desperately attempted to control the dog. Armed with batons, men, who appeared to be undercover cops, struck the dog several times as the horse panicked and started spinning in circles as it kicked out.
The Guardian
01-05-2025
- The Guardian
Bystanders apprehend bulldog after it attempts to assault Met police horses
Members of the public captured a bulldog which was trying to bite the legs of two police horses while they were out on patrol in London. Metropolitan police horses Yvonne and Snaffles were being ridden by officers when the out-of-control canine began nipping at their legs. The incident in Shepherd's Bush Green, west London, on Monday morning was captured on the body-worn camera of one of the police riders. The footage shows 13-year-old Yvonne moving in circles to escape the dog, which ran back and forth between the horses as the owner struggled to get it under control. The bystanders eventually stepped in to seize the dog, which was then returned to its owner. Investigations are under way and no arrests have been made. Sergeant Leon Astley, who was riding with PC Grace Miller-McCormack when they were attacked last Monday, said: 'What should have been a routine patrol turned out to be unexpectedly eventful, where our hard-working 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 Met is appealing for any witnesses to come forward. Yvonne, 13, recognisable by her big ears, has been a police horse since October 2020. Snaffles, 15, has previously starred in Activity Ride, the Mounted Branch's performance at Olympia, and has been involved in public order policing in central London. A person can receive an unlimited fine and be sent to prison for up to six months for having a dog seriously out of control, the Met said. If the dog injuries someone this can increase to up to five years in prison.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment police patrol horses are attacked by out-of-control dog in park
An out-of-control dog attempted to viciously attack two police horses as they patrolled through a park. Yvonne and Snaffles, ridden by Met Police officers Sergeant Leon Astley and PC Grace Miller-McCormack, from the force's Mounted Branch, were taken by surprise during the attack in west London on Monday morning. The diminutive dog was caught on body cam footage leaving its owner and sprinting across the park to reach the animals, during the incident in Shepherd's Bush Green at around 11.30am. Amid shouts from the owner to 'come here', one police officer can be heard fearing for the dog's welfare in the face of the larger animals and saying: 'It's going to get kicked'. Police horse Snaffles then begins to jolt forward as the dog attempts to bite the horse's legs, with the female officer heard saying: 'He's literally on the leg'. The owner can be heard shouting more desperately at their pet, saying 'come here, fast,' but to no avail. As Snaffles tries to trot away from the dog, the animal can then be seen making its way towards Yvonne. PC Miller-McCormack can be heard saying 'get away', before the dog ran off in the opposite direction and attempted to bite Snaffles again. 'You need to grab it, you need to get hold of it,' the police officer can be heard urging the owner. Eventually members of the public stepped in to help regain control of the dog. In a statement released today, Met Police said Yvonne and Snaffles are recovering well at their stables with minor injuries, while the officers were unharmed. 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.' Investigations are ongoing and no arrests have been made. The dog was seized and later returned to its owner. A person can receive an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to six months (or both) for having a dog seriously out of control. If the dog injuries someone this can increase to up to five years in prison. Met Police said it is advisable for owners to keep their dogs on the lead if they don't have sufficient recall, to ensure the safety of the animal and others around them. Yvonne is 13 years old and has been a police horse since October 2020. Snaffles, aged 15, has previously starred in Activity Ride, the Mounted Branch's performance at Olympia, and been involved in public order policing in central London.
