Dog hit with Taser after woman attacked

A dog that attacked and seriously injured a woman died after it was caught using a police Taser weapon and dog poles.

The American bulldog turned on the 30-year-old woman, who was walking it on behalf of its owner, in Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, on Thursday.

When police arrived, they found the woman had been seriously injured and the dog had run off.

The animal died as it was being taken to a vet.

A Hampshire police spokeswoman said the woman was "very seriously injured" and required treatment from two paramedic units and a doctor at the scene.

'Multiple wounds'

"They worked on her for 45 minutes to stabilise her before she was transferred to Southampton General Hospital for emergency surgery," she said.

"She sustained open fractures to her left arm and multiple puncture wounds. The woman has been transferred to Salisbury Hospital and is no longer in intensive care."

She said the dog, which was not a banned dangerous breed in the UK, was found in the High Street by force support unit officers and a dog handler.

"The dog was still acting aggressively and officers used dog poles and a Taser to subdue it with the intention of capturing it and taking it to a vet.

"The dog died en route to the vet's surgery.

"Officers are gathering evidence in order to establish the circumstances around the attack."

Police have not yet said what caused the animal's death.