A savage dog attack leaves one woman dead and another injured

A young woman in her 20s died in a savage dog attack in Surrey, England. According to the police, a second woman suffered dog bites and was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Fatal injuries and a huge blood loss

Officers were called to Caterham, Surrey, England at about 14:25 GMT on 12 January after a dog attack was reported. Armed officers attended the nearby area and seized eight canines in total.

Sadly, a woman in her 20s who is yet to be named suffered fatal injuries and a huge blood loss and was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Surrey Police, her next of kin have been informed.

Chief Inspector Alan Sproston said:

Our thoughts are with the family of the woman who sadly died this afternoon.

Another woman was rushed to the hospital with dog bites. It is unclear if she was walking together with the victim or separately from them.

Police issued a statement reassuring the local community that ‘all dogs have been accounted for and are in police custody'.

The investigation to establish the circumstances of the incident remains ongoing.

A 'desperate' manhunt

It is understood at least one of the seized dogs unleashed the attack. A spokesman said police were holding the pets in kennels, with detectives carrying out urgent inquiries to trace their owners and to discover what happened.

The roads around the open country area of the attack were sealed off as a large-scale probe into the killing of the woman continues.

Locals have said that the horror incident has left the community in the town of Caterham ‘feeling really anxious’.

Lesley Hoffley, 62, who lives just yards away from the crime scene, said:

We don't know if the young lady was a local. It's hard to say because people come from all over Gravelly Hill.

It just doesn't really make any sense. Why are there seven dangerous dogs around there and how did it happen? None of us who live around here have any idea.

Sources used:

- BBC News: 'Caterham dog attack: One woman dead and another injured'

- Mirror: 'Desperate hunt to find owners of seven dogs seized after woman died in savage attack'