20 July 2023, 08:22
Picture:
Alamy
Police in England and Wales are being required to destroy a minimum of 2 dogs a day after taking them following savage attacks, LBC can reveal.
Latest information from 30 of the 44 forces, obtained by LBC, reveals officers destroyed 769 out-of-control dogs who assaulted individuals, consisting of kids, in the year to May 2023.
That has actually increased by a 3rd on the previous year, when cops took and destroyed 506 dogs which had actually set upon people.
Separately, the Metropolitan Police took 1159 harmful dogs in London in 2022 – an increase of 32% on the previous year.
Dangerous dog occurrences have actually skyrocketed by more than 50% in the last 5 years, according to South Yorkshire Police, who’ve revealed issues about the variety of cases including the American XL Bully breed.
The force said the breed represented 25% of all dogs it took in January in 2015.
Assistant Chief Constable Dan Thorpe said: “A lady in South Yorkshire purchased 2 XL Bully dogs, thinking them to be mild giants. Those dogs switched on her in her home and triggered deadly injuries”.
A representative for the Dogs Trust said research study had actually revealed that “no breed of dog is most likely to be aggressive than another”.
Read more: Girl, 7, hurried to health center after attack by ‘XL bully’ forces polices to take animal
Read more: Shocking minutes prior to cops Taser violent dog and push it in a wheelie bin
The National Police Chiefs’ Council has actually developed a Dangerous Dogs Working Group, which was reorganized 2 years ago to make sure devoted policemans are concentrating on harmful dogs and dog attacks in every area of the nation.
The group’s lead, Deputy Chief Constable Robert Carden, said: “As an outcome of this focus, we have actually seen a boost in the variety of individuals reporting harmful dog associated occurrences to cops.”
He included: “We know that occurrences can frequently be really worrying to members of the general public who witness them, however I wish to assure individuals that we are taking the matter seriously and we are punishing those who own or breed harmful dogs.
“We continue to ask members of the general public who understand of harmful dog ownership to get in touch with cops on 101 or in an emergency situation constantly call 999.”
An examination is underway by the NSPCC, Defra, regional authorities, and animal well-being organisations focused on decreasing dog attacks.
The Responsible Dog Ownership Project is because of report back later on this year.
