Alarm over rise in dog bite cases

MORE than 30 people needed hospital treatment at Derriford in one year alone after being attacked by dogs.

The 31 casualties admitted with bite wounds to accident and emergency at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust included children under the age of 10, although precise numbers are not given on grounds of medical confidentiality.

Latest figures released by the Department of Health show that nationally there were nearly 4,000 cases of people needing hospital treatment for dog bites, of which more than 700 were aged under 10.

It has led to calls by the RSPCA for dangerous dogs legislation to be updated and a crackdown on irresponsible owners.

A backbench bid has also been launched at Westminster to allow the prosecution of owners whose dogs attack people on private property.

There is growing concern over the worrying trend – imported from the US – of ferocious so-called 'bling' or 'status' dogs such as pit bull terrier-type breeds becoming associated with gang culture, along with guns and knives.

The 2007-08 data for Plymouth represents an increase on the 24 hospital admissions recorded in 2000-01, the earliest year for which figures were provided.

In 2006-07 there were 33 reports of people needing treatment at Derriford for a dog bite.

There has been mounting pressure for widely-criticised dangerous dogs legislation, brought in after a series of dog attacks in the early 1990s, to be updated and beefed up with tougher seizure powers so vicious animals could be confiscated.

Campaigners have also pressed for dog licenses to be brought back. Supporters say compulsory registration, which was abolished in 1987, would ensure owners of dogs involved in attacks could be identified and brought to justice.

A spokesman for the RSPCA said there was a 'huge problem' with dangerous dogs and that attacks were on the rise.

He added: "This comes down to making sure that dog-owners are responsible for their dogs.

"We'd like to see the law changed so it reflects the dog-owners rather than the dog breeds."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said comprehensive legislation was in place to deal with people who failed to control their dogs.

Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 four types of dog are banned: the pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, dogo Argentino and fila Brasileiro.

A Defra spokesman said a review of the dangerous dogs legislation had been undertaken in 2007, during which police were consulted.

"From this review, we believe that while the existing law on dangerous dogs is robust enough to deal with dangerous dogs and irresponsible dog-owners it's important that the law is more rigorously enforced," he said.

Guidance had been issued to ensure better enforcement of the law, and there were new training initiatives to help police deal with the problem of dangerous dogs.

The spokesman added: "Officials from Defra and the Ministry of Justice are currently working with enforcement agencies to see what can be done to improve the way courts handle dangerous dogs cases, and we have also recently commissioned new research into dog aggression against humans."