#TakeTheLead - MP says it's 'imperative' government acts on dog attacks
Wayne David has lost two constituents in dog attacks and says action is need to prevent escalation of incidents
An MP - who has lost two constituents in dog attacks - has told our Take the Lead investigation the government must act to prevent further incidents in our communities.
Wayne David, who represents Caerphilly, was speaking at the All Party Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG) event in Parliament, where organisations and dog behaviour experts were seeking to find solutions to the ongoing rise in dog attacks.
Within the last two years, a 10 year old boy, and an 83 year old woman have both died after dog related incidents in his South Wales constituency.
"Huge escalation in the number of dog attacks"
Wayne David MP told us: "The figures point in one direction only and I think it's absolutely imperative that the government does recognise that this is a real issue, and I believe there is an emerging consensus on the kind of measures that we need to introduce
“We have to look at issues like dog breeding, the sale a purchase of dogs, we have to look at the education of owners on responsible dog ownership, there’s a whole raft of issues that need to be considered.
“Caerphilly might have attracted a lot of attention, but it’s an issue across the country and we’ve seen a huge escalation in the number of dog attacks and dog fatalities."
The government recently set up a working group to look at how potential measures to tackle incidents could be put into practice.
#TakeTheLead understands there are currently no plans to add other types of dogs to the list of banned breeds, with the focus instead on other controls that apply to all dogs.
#TakeTheLead looks into dog attacks
We started our #TakeTheLead campaign after finding that the number of people hospitalised by dog bites had doubled in the last 25 years.
In March, we brought you an exclusive story showing that on average three children are treated in hospital every day in England for serious injuries caused by dogs.
Figures show hospitals in England treated close to nine thousand people who'd been involved in dog attacks last year.
That's more than twice the rate people were being admitted in 1998 - with the rise driven predominantly by an increase in bites on adults.
Advice if you're getting a dog
The government's advice on buying a dog is to do your research and buy from a reputable seller:
- Check the dog you're buying is suitable for your home
- Be satisfied they will be able to train and control it effectively
The also set up a working group involving the police, local authority groups and animal welfare experts to look at ways to take forward measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible dog ownership.
A Defra spokesperson said: "Dog attacks can have tragic consequences - which is why it is already a criminal offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control.
"We recently published research examining potential measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible dog ownership. Since then, we have set up a working group with the police, local authority representatives and animal welfare stakeholders to advise on how these proposals could work in practice.”