Britain’s deadly dog attack epidemic is sparked by ‘impulse buys’ in lockdown as maulings more than DOUBLE
ANIMAL welfare experts have blamed the UK’s dog mauling epidemic on lockdown “impulse buys” – as the rise in killer cases has more than doubled.
An RSPCA dog specialist believes that the increase in Brits buying puppies in the last two years could have caused the high rates of fatal dog attacks.
Reports from the show there has been a 54 per cent increase in dog attacks from 2020 to 2021.
Since the start of the pandemic nearly 3.2 million households have bought a puppy, but staying inside and social distancing has meant that the pooches have a lack of social skills.
Dr Sam Gaines also believes that the UK’s list of banned dogs could in fact be fuelling the spike, as Brits assume that any other breed of hound is safe.
Her warnings come after a two-year-old boy died following an attack by a dog in Worcester, and an eight-year-old boy was rushed to hospital after being bitten on the face in Cannock.
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The Office for National Statistics figures show that in the decade up to 1991, 15 people were killed by dogs - but in the past ten years that has more than doubled to 32.
Dr Gaines pointed out that “any dog” has the potential to be dangerous, and that there are no safe breeds.
She told the Sun: "We've seen an increase in dog ownership because of the pandemic.
"The RSPCA are really concerned about this. People found themselves in a situation where they wanted some companionship, wanted something for their children to look after.
"Whether that led to some impulse purchases, or impulse acquisitions for people without asking: 'Do I have the time, do I have the resources and finances to make what is a very long-term commitment?'
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"We are worried that some of the incidents could be related to that.
"Some of the increases in dog bites we've seen - they may well be as a result of that."
Dog attacks have been increasing year-on-year, with reports of offences to police involving out-of-control dogs had already jumped by 50 per cent over four years to 14,478 incidents in 2019.
Last year Alder Hey Children's Hospital saw a tripling of youngsters being admitted with dog bite injuries during periods of lockdown, according to research at the University of Liverpool.
The Metropolitan Police reporting a 14 per cent increase in recorded dog attacks for 2020-21 to 2,140 cases.
BANNED DOG BREEDS
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Japanese Tosa
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro
But Dr Gains stressed that without more information regarding each dog’s behaviours, and the circumstances of each attack, it is impossible to say what the cause could be.
She added: "When it comes to these sort of incidents, they are absolutely horrendous and tragic.
"But what we don't do is actually ever take evidence from that particular incident.
"In most cases when there have been fatalities and serious injuries the dogs tend to get killed at the location of the incident.
"The RSPCA, along with others, have been calling for there to be more thorough investigations around the factors that lead to these sorts of incidents.
"Including taking the dog away for behavioural assessments to try to understand what it is that actually led to an attack.
Some of the increases in dog bites we've seen - they may well be as a result of impulse purchases.
Dr Sam Gaines
"Throughout the lockdown we were spending more time in close proximity to pets anyway.
"Without having more information about the incidents is very difficult to say what has caused them and what it actually is a result of the pandemic and the lockdown.
"Where there has been that investigation around the dogs that have been involved in fatalities, we have seen that breed is not the key factor when it comes to these sorts of incidents.
"It's actually much, much more to do with a range of management issues.
"For example, dogs that are not necessarily cared for appropriately, maybe subject to some sort of abuse... a whole load of factors around housing and management.
"And also relating to the victims themselves that tend to co-occur alongside these fatalities. Breed is not one of the key factors in this.”
Her warnings come after baby Bella-Rae Birch, one, was killed by her family’s pet dog in St Helens, Merseyside, which had been purchased a week before.
Three-month-old Kyra Leanne King was also mauled to death by an “out of control” husky at a beauty spot in Lincolnshire.
Jack Lis, 10, died after being attacked by an American bully dog at a house in Pentwyn, Penyrheol in November last year.
And a three-year-old boy was killed in a suspected dog attack in Milnrow, near Rochdale, on May 15.
Elsewhere, Stephen Joynes, 36, was jailed for four years after his Chow Chow Alsatian-cross mauled his 12-day-old baby Elon Jase Ellis-Joynes to death at their home in Doncaster last year.
And nine-year-old Frankie MacRitchie, from Plymouth, was on a caravan holiday in Cornwall when he was killed by an American bulldog cross Staffordshire bull terrier in April 2019.
The attacks have led to calls for an overhaul of the Dangerous Dogs Act, which dates back to 1991 and criminalises ownership of four breeds.
DOG ATTACK STATS
- Almost 75% of children attacked by dogs are bitten on the head
- Five Royal Mail workers are bitten every single day in 2020-2021 by canines
- 1,700 kids were attacked by a dog in 2019
- Where a dog is acting aggressively and causes death could face a maximum of 14 years in prison
- Owners of dogs who serious injure others could be handed a maximum sentence of five years custsody
It is currently illegal to own a Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and a Fila Brasileiro in the UK.
But the RSPCA are calling for a change in legislation to the act, and are “strongly opposed” to any “breed specific legislation."
Dr Gaines added: "We've seen over the past 30 years, people seeking treatment for dog bites at a hospital is increasing.
"But the number of dogs that are prohibited that are involved in a fatality is very small. So having this breed-specific focus is in itself really dangerous for public safety.
"Because it's suggesting to the public that these types of dogs are dangerous and any other dog that is not on that list is safe.
"What we are particularly concerned about is that leads people to think that they can do anything, any sort of interaction with those dogs.
"And you end up with people potentially showing high-risk behaviour with dogs that they consider are safe, and not understanding that any dog has the potential to be dangerous.
'ANY DOG CAN BE A DANGER'
"Any dog will use aggressive behaviour if they feel they're in a situation where they feel they need to.
“We really want to see legislation that identifies certain types of dogs as being more dangerous than others completely repealed in the UK.
"We don't think that focusing on certain types of dogs is effective."
The Kennel Club also wants owners of dogs with a history of aggression to be required to undergo training or risk having their pet seized.
Bill Lambert, of the Kennel Club, said: “The problem with the legislation is that it suggests those four breeds are dangerous while others are not.
"The reality is that in a given circumstance, any dog can be a danger to children.”
The Blue Cross added: "The dog control bill we are calling for could include more powers for police to intervene at an early stage if there are problems with a particular dog.
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"The focus of this new legislation should be education and prevention allowing enforcers to step in at the first sign of trouble and support dog owners to become responsible pet owners."
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is currently considering a report which recommends shifting the onus from singling out “bad breeds” to educating owners about the dangers of dogs.