Police have issued an urgent warning to residents in a major British city after an XL Bully ended up "on the loose" after officers failed to shoot the "aggressive" dog.
South Yorkshire Police confirmed officers attended an incident last night after neighbours reported gunshots outside a house in Walkley, Sheffield.
During a search of properties, which came after a 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, South Yorkshire Police seized two dogs.
A third dog, identified as an XL Bully, was shot but managed to escape and remains on the loose in Walkley.
XL Bully dog
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A few hours after the canine fled, two vehicles crashed in the same area in the early hours of Friday morning.
Just after 3am, officers swooped on the crash scene, tending to drivers of a silver Golf and a motorbike - and, again, shots were fired.
The 36-year-old man driving the motorbike was also arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle.
He was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.
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Police confirmed that they suspected the two incidents were "linked", although they remained unaware of the dog's status.
While local police scrambled to locate the pooch, the force issued a warning for residents to remain "vigilant" as the canine is believed to be running rampant.
South Yorkshire Police said: "We're asking for the public to be vigilant for an XL Bully that could be loose in our communities, or for anyone with information about where it may be being kept to come forward and assist us with our investigation.
"The dog became loose in the Hillfoot area of Sheffield last night, following a firearms discharge. We know that hearing about a dog on the loose can cause concern in our communities and we assure you we are doing all we can to find the dog."
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Chief Superintendent for Sheffield Jamie Henderson added: "I would like to assure you that we are doing all we can to locate the dog or find those who may have housed it to evade police contact.
"We appreciate people in our communities being vigilant, and I ask that you get in touch immediately if you see the dog.
"I urge you not to approach the dog, as we believe it has the ability to show aggression and cause harm.
"If you do see the dog, please call 999 immediately, if you have information about its whereabouts, please get in touch online, via live chat or by calling 101 quoting incident number 948 of April 3, 2025."
