Merseyside has the highest rate of dog attack injuries in the UK, according to data released by Merseyside Police.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that there were a total 1,674 recorded dog attacks in the Wirral between January 2012 and September 2023, with a record 196 incidents in 2023 – up from just 22 in 2012.
Knowsley has the highest rate of annual hospital admissions for dog attacks of any local authority in the UK, with 24.2 dog attack victims for every 100,000 people admitted.
A high-profile case in March 2022 led to public outcry, when 17-month-old Bella-Rae Birch was killed by an American XL Bully in her home on Bidston Avenue in St Helens.
Children under 16 are the most likely victims of dog attacks, and 80% of dog attacks occur in the home.
In July 2023, Merseyside Police launched its ‘Taking the Lead’ campaign aiming to promote responsible dog ownership and prevent potential injuries through educational videos posted to social media.
Inspector Katie Wilkinson, who leads the campaign and works for Merseyside Police’s Dog Section, said that the rate of dog attacks increases significantly during the summer holidays when children are spending more time in public spaces or at home with pets.
“We are determined to reduce the numbers of children and adults in Merseyside being hurt by dogs. It is crucial that we educate youngsters at an early age about how to be around dogs.”
“Some of our simple messages includes not bothering dogs when they are eating their dinner or when they are sleeping and not approaching a dog you don’t know.”
“If walking your dog out in your community, always make sure they are on a lead and consider whether they need to be muzzled.”
However, animal behavioural experts say that education alone will only go so far.
Dr Carri Westgarth, Senior Lecturer in Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Liverpool, said that increased rates of dog attacks are associated with higher levels of social depravation.
“Successful injury prevention provides multiple interventions within a systems approach”.
“Better regulation of breeding of suitable dogs for owning as pets, that is, with good temperaments and early socialisation, is something I believe is required”.
“We also need better regulation of trainers, as many are unqualified and give advice that, in the long term, makes the dog more aggressive”.
“For example, the use of punishment-based training techniques that are becoming more popular due to social media”.
Image credits: Creative Commons – Josh Plueger https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Military_dog_barking.JPG
