2 Toddlers Rushed to The Hospital with Serious Injuries After 'Shocking' Dog Attack in Backyard

A two-year-old boy and a three-year-old boy have been hospitalized with serious injuries following a terrifying dog attack at their home.

At around 4 p.m. local time on Thursday, May 1, police were alerted to the incident in the backyard of a home in the Liverpool, England suburb of Prescot, according to a Merseyside Police report. 

The toddlers had suffered puncture wounds and lacerations to their arms and legs, while an 18-year-old woman also had a minor injury to her arm, the release stated.

Chief Inspector Phil Thompson described the dog attack as a “shocking incident,” according to the BBC.

“We are in the very early stages of investigating this incident and the dog has been seized at the home,” he told the outlet. “Enquiries are ongoing to establish the breed of the dog and identify the owner.

“As part of the investigation, officers remain at the scene to carry out witness and CCTV enquiries. If you have any information that could help our investigation, please get in touch as a matter of urgency,” Thompson added.

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Multiple police vehicles and ambulances can be seen at the scene of the incident in photos obtained by local outlet the Liverpool Echo.

The children who were injured in the attack are in the hospital in a stable condition, according to the police report. 

Authorities believe the dog to be a “bulldog-type breed,” and have confirmed the canine has been “handed over to be humanely destroyed.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Merseyside Police and the North West Ambulance Service for further comment amid their investigation.