The variety of canine assaults in Lancashire has soared by practically 50% previously two years, new knowledge has revealed.
Figures obtained from Lancashire Constabulary by means of an ITV Freedom of Information request exhibits the pressure recorded a 47% surge in incidents between June 2021-22 and June 2022-23. This is the third largest rise in England, behind Gloucestershire (62%) and Cambridgeshire (52%).
It comes because the Government seems to be to ban American XL bully dogs in response to a collection of assaults. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to ban the breed in September below the Dangerous Dogs Act by the top of the yr.
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An official spokesman for Mr Sunak mentioned a “transition interval” could be launched, with particulars prone to observe a session on the plan. Owners might face a requirement to neuter their dogs and muzzle them in public, the Government’s chief vet has instructed.
Dog assaults in England have shot up by 22% previously two years, the FOI figures present. Requests to all police forces in England have been submitted by ITV News, with 23 forces responding.
Those forces recorded 11,373 canine assaults between July 2021 and June 2022. From July 2022 to June 2023, there have been 13,940 assaults reported.
The space hit probably the most was the West Midlands with a complete of 1,244 assaults from July 2022 to June 2023. It was a canine attack in Birmingham that pressured the Government to behave in banning .American XL bully dogs.
Video footage confirmed a woman aged 11 and two males being attacked by a crossbreed Bully XL-Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy in Bordesley Green, Birmingham. Ana Paun was pulled to the ground after the canine broke free from its collar close to a row of retailers on September 9, the Mirror experiences.
A 20-year-old man tried to assist her however the canine chased him to a close-by petrol station and attacked him on the bottom. Other areas hit exhausting by assaults in 2022/23 are West Yorks (1,025), Merseyside (1,183), Kent (1,135) and Greater Manchester (829).
The variety of dogs detained below the Dangerous Dogs Act has additionally gone up by greater than 50% since July 2021. ITV mentioned this contains banned breeds and dogs dangerously uncontrolled.
Meanwhile, the variety of dogs destroyed below the Act in England since July 2021 is up by 30%. A vet mentioned the American XL Bully inhabitants has grown “exponentially” previously three years.
David Martin, group head of Animal Welfare at My Family Vets, mentioned: “The canine inhabitants typically actually grew throughout Covid. Since then the breed that has remained excessive in recognition and has grown in numbers is the American Bully.”
Despite protests by XL Bully house owners, he mentioned “the overwhelming majority” of aggressive assaults are because of their breeding and possession. He added: “It’s not an issue purely associated to the American Bully, however that’s the breed that’s at the moment modern.”
