Urgent appeal to trace dogs after man, 33, dies

Officers have said they are urgently asking for information to find two dogs who they believe may have been involved in the death of a man on Hereford Close, Rubery, in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Officers were called to the address to reports of a number of dogs being on the loose.

On arrival, officers discovered a 33-year-old man deceased in the garden of the property where the dogs were believed to have come from.

A post-mortem is being carried out Thursday to establish the cause of death of the man.

Officers at this stage believe that he had been attacked by at least one dog, which may have contributed to his death.

Two other dogs were seized at the scene by an officer, but investigators are now looking for two other dogs who they believe may have been at the address at the time.

None of the dogs are believed to have been of a banned breed, and it is believed that the dogs are of an American Bulldog-type.

Superintendent Sally Simpson, of Birmingham Police, said: "This is a really tragic incident, and the family of the man are being supported by officers.

"The investigation into his death is continuing, and our priority right now is finding the other dogs that we believe may have been involved."

Officers are carrying out house-to-house enquiries, reviewing CCTV, and are using specialist dog officers and drone units to find the dogs.

Inspector Leanne Chapman, from the Dogs Unit, said: "We have officers liaising with vets and the local authority, and are using our drone capability to scour the wider area. We really need to hear from anyone who has seen these dogs and it’s vital that if you see them, you don’t approach them but call 999 immediately.

"Similarly, if you or someone you know has taken the dogs in after finding them loose, we need you to call us as soon as possible."

Anyone with information has been asked to call 999 immediately, quoting 1149 of today.