Hospital admissions for dog attacks have risen by 76% over the past ten years, according to new figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Between March 2014 and February 2015, 7,227 people required medical treatment after being bitten or struck by a dog, up from 4,110 in the same period a decade earlier.
Young children under the age of nine were the most commonly affected, with 1,159 admissions. The most frequent injuries were open wounds to the wrists, hands, head, and forearm. The data also revealed that 123 people, including one child, suffered traumatic amputation of the wrist and hand.
Admission rates for other animal attacks, including those from rats, cats, horses, and foxes, also rose by 76% over the decade. However, dog bites and strikes accounted for over two-thirds of all admissions for mammal bites and strikes. Rates were highest in urban areas and in the most deprived regions, with Merseyside, Durham, Darlington and Tees, and Thames Valley recording the highest figures.
At least 21 people, including 13 children, have died in England and Wales from dog attacks in the past ten years. Notable cases include four-year-old Lexi Branson, killed in 2013 by the family's bulldog-type breed, and six-month-old Molly-Mae Wotherspoon, mauled by an American pit bull terrier in 2014.
In response, the Dangerous Dogs Act was updated in May 2014 to increase maximum prison sentences for owners: up to 14 years for a fatal attack, five years for causing injury, and three years for allowing a dog to attack an assistance dog. Dogs Trust charity called the statistics 'deeply concerning' and urged owners to ensure proper training and supervision, especially around children.
