Dog attacks on children led to more than 1,000 surgeries last year with nearly 40% on victims under the age of four, NHS figures show

• Victims needed surgery after being bitten or mauled 3,473 times in 2022

Dog attacks left children needing surgery more than 1,000 times last year, including nearly 400 cases where the child was under the age of four.

In total, victims of all ages needed surgery after being bitten or mauled 3,473 times in 2022 – the highest number since data was first released 16 years ago.

Experts said the number of children being attacked is ‘very worrying’ but that many of the bites are ‘preventable’.

The shocking new figures from NHS Digital showed that the total number of hospitalisations following dog attacks has nearly doubled from 4,699 in 2007/8 to 9,336 in 2022/3.

Dr John Tulloch, a lecturer in veterinary public health at Liverpool University, said: ‘The growth in dog bites is faster than the growth in dog population – so it can’t just be that there are more dogs.’

Dog attacks left children needing surgery more than 1,000 times last year, including nearly 400 cases where the child was under the age of four (File image)

Instead, he said that the way we behave around and treat dogs has changed ‘fundamentally’.

He said: ‘We know dogs are now kept in the home for more than seven or eight hours on their own and they are going to get frustrated.

‘A lot of dogs don’t get the exercise needs – their health needs aren’t being met and so they have the potential to be more anxious and nervous.

‘If you keep a dog in a horrible environment and they’re not looked after they are going to have more behaviour problems and be more likely to bite.’

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According to Dr Tulloch’s research, 80 per cent of attacks on adults and 90 per cent on kids take place in the home.

He also found that there are ‘hotspots’ of dog attacks – with Liverpool having the most, and London having relatively low numbers.

He said it is crucial to pay attention to a dog’s body language and, if possible, to have a calm place for the dog to retreat to.

The new data follows a spate of children dying in dog attacks in recent years.

In February, four-year-old Alice Stones was mauled to death by a dog in Milton Keynes.

Her death followed those of Daniel John Twigg, three, Lawson Bond, two, Bella-Rae Birch, 17 months, Kyra Leanne King, three months, and Jack Lis, 10, who all died in dog attacks.

Dr Tulloch said: ‘One of the biggest issues at the minute is how easy it is to get dog – I could get a new dog by the end of the day and have no idea about the background of that dog, it could have a lot of trauma that I don’t know about.’

There are an estimated 12 million dogs in the UK, two million more than before the lockdown – roughly one dog for every five people.

Victims of all ages needed surgery after being bitten or mauled 3,473 times in 2022 – the highest number since data was first released 16 years ago (File image)

‘Some of these dogs are 50, 60 kilo dogs that need a lot of stimulation.When people are looking for dogs, they are not thinking about matching their dog to their lifestyle’, said Dr Tulloch.

Dr Samantha Gaines, head of companion animals at the RSPCA, said: ‘We don’t ever expect our own dogs to bite, but all dogs can – it doesn’t matter what size or breed they are.

‘Many bites are preventable and as parents and guardians, we can play an important role in protecting our children and keeping our dog happy’.

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