By Natasha Livingstone For The Mail On Sunday
02:05 23 Jul 2023, upgraded 02:05 23 Jul 2023
- Total healthcare facility admissions for dog bites likewise increased to 9,336 – a 5.9 percent increase
- Experts said the information was ‘worrying’ and required overhaul of dog control laws
- Children aged 4 and under saw the greatest percentage of dog-bite surgical treatments
More than 3,000 individuals have actually had surgical treatment following dog bites in the previous year, marking an 80 percent increase over 15 years.
Doctors performed 3,473 reconstructive operations from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023 – 374 of them on kids aged 4 and under.
Total healthcare facility admissions for dog bites, that included injuries not requiring surgical treatment, likewise increased to 9,336 – a 5.9 percent boost on in 2015 and a 50 percent increase in 10 years.
Experts said the information was ‘worrying’ and required an overhaul of dog control laws.
High-profile cases of dog-bite deaths this year consist of dog walker Natasha Johnston, who was killed by a pack, and four-year-old Alice Stones, who was whipped by her family’s family pet.
Provisional NHS figures reveal the variety of individuals hospitalised by dog bites almost doubled from 4,699 in 2007-8 to 9,336 in 2022-23, and the number requiring surgical treatment increased from 1,950 to 3,473 in the exact same duration, the equivalent of 10 daily.
Shockingly, kids aged 4 and under saw the greatest percentage of dog-bite surgical treatments, followed by victims aged 5-9 (359) and 10-14 (273).
Since 2007, the age variety that saw the biggest boost in dog-bite surgical treatments was those aged 55 to 59, increasing from 73 cases in 2007 to 2008 to 231 in 2022 to 2023.
Maria Murray, deputy director at animal well-being charity Dogs Trust, branded the present dog control laws as ‘not fit for purpose’, and said they require to be ‘overhauled’.
She said: ‘There is no simple answer to why dog bites and dog-related injuries are rising.
‘It could be due to the large increase in families owning dogs – a third of all UK households – but also dogs not being able to access socialisation and training opportunities at critical stages of development during the pandemic.’
Ms Murray added that 84 per cent of parents leave their kids unsupervised around their pets, despite the majority of dog bites to children occurring in the home by a known dog.
Both Dogs Trust and the British Veterinary Association (BVA) agree the statistics are fresh evidence that new legislation is needed to tackle dog attacks.
BVA Senior Vice President Justine Shotton said: ‘This latest data showing increasing injuries following incidents involving dogs is deeply worrying.
‘With vets also reporting a rise in the number of clients concerned about their dogs’ progressively aggressive behaviour, there can be no doubt that existing legislation is not working.
‘By focussing on ‘banned breeds’, the Dangerous Dogs Act is not just stopping working to resolve the root problem – it’s likewise stopping working to safeguard public safety.
‘The Government must urgently revise the Act, enforcing responsible breeding and ownership, as well as focussing on better education so that owners understand their dog’s behaviour and how finest to handle it.’
The increasing number and intensity of dog bites was likewise shown in a recent research study by the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon, which discovered cosmetic surgery recommendations for dog bites increased by 180 percent at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford when comparing April-August 2021 with the exact same duration in 2019.
Study author Oliver Jones said: ‘Lockdown had a worrying impact on the number of animal bite injuries occurring in the UK.
In addition to the impact on the patient, the animal and the owner, there is also a financial consequence for the NHS – even prior to lockdown, dog bite injuries cost the NHS about £71 million pounds annually.’
