Animal welfare experts have warned
about an epidemic of dog attacks after
the number of people requiring hospi-
tal attention for dog bites more than
doubled in 15 years.
NHS data shows that more than
10,000 people a year need hospital
treatment after an attack, a rate of 15
cases for every 100,000 of the popula-
tion. In 2005 the rate was 7 cases per
100,000. Already this year five people
have been mauled to death by dogs,
four of them children aged under three.
There were only three deaths from dog
attacks during the whole of last year
Attack hotspots
The five areas with the highest
hospital admissions for dog attacks
per 100,000 people per year
Knowsley 24.2
Middlesbrough 21.4
Wakefield 20
Redcar and Cleveland 19.6
St Helens 19.5The areas with the lowest incidence
City of London 1.1
Harrow 2.4
Brent 2.7
Barnet 3
Isle of Wight 3.1
Source: NHSthe times | Monday May 23 2022 21
M&S orders
blind man to
leave store
Charlie MoloneyAn executive at the Guide Dogs charity
was told to leave a Marks & Spencer
store because of his assistance dog.
Dave Kent, 62, who is blind, was told
he was not allowed to have his golden
retriever Faldo inside the branch in
Mortlake, southwest London.
The corporate engagement execu-
tive said he was on his way to the check-
out when he was told to leave by a
security guard.
“Every time this happens, it’s a kick in
the nuts,” he told The Guardian. “All I
want to do is go to Marks & Spencers
and do what any seeing person would
do. And I want to do it unhindered. I am
sickened by these security guards.
“M&S know very well their obliga-
tions under the equality duty. But the
problem arises with guide dogs with
these third-party security companies
they employ. They’re probably on a low
wage, but they’re idiots and they’re not
taught.”
Kent said he had stood his ground but
the security guard insisted that the dog
needed to be taken out of the store.
A manager apologised and offered
Kent a complimentary drink. He said:
“A cup of tea. I just thought don’t patro-
nise me.” He left without making his
purchase.
Three quarters of guide dog owners
have been turned away from public
buildings, which is illegal under equality
law, according to a Guide Dogs poll.Bella-Rae Birch, 17
months, died after
being attacked by
a family pet in St
Helens in MarchPADog-bite injuries
double in 15 years
and two in 2020. The NHS data shows
a big regional variations in the risk of a
dog attack, with people in Merseyside
ten times more likely to require hospital
attention after a bite than those in
north London. A study at Alder Hey
hospital in Liverpool found that the
number of children admitted for dog
bite injuries during the first lockdown
surged by more than 70 per cent.
The RSPCA has raised concerns that
impulse buys of dogs during the pan-
demic fuelled the problem, with many
animals’ social skills underdeveloped
due to increased time indoors and a
lack of interaction with other dogs. The
number of pet dogs has surged by four
million over the past three years.
Sam Gaines, head of companion
animals at the RSPCA, said: “Research
tells us that breed is not an important or
reliable predictor of aggressive behav-
iour in dogs. It is much more about
human behaviour and how a dog has
been managed. Whether or not they’ve
had their welfare needs provided for
and the presence of individuals able to
intervene in incidents, which is particu-
larly important with children around.”
Scott Taylor, of Feeds&Seeds, the pet
food supplier that collected the data,
said: “The increase of dog attacks is a
danger both to people and their pets.
We believe the best way to tackle this
issue is to highlight the increases in
attacks using data, [and] visualising the
growing danger on our streets and in
our parks.”Andrew Ellson
News