Sharp rise in surgery for dog bites

MORE than 3,000 people needed reconstructive surgery and stitches last year after dog bites or attacks – including over 400 under-fives and 11 in their 90s, figures have revealed.

Plastic surgeons and hospital doctors carried out 3,301 procedures in England – a sharp rise from 2007 to 2008, when there were 1,940.

Overall there were 8,525 hospital admissions following an attack by or an accident with a dog last year – a record number and nearly double the 4,611 treated 11 years previously.

Children under nine remained the biggest age group requiring reconstructive procedures or involving the repair or closure of the skin, for example to the eyelid, ear, nose and lip, or reconstruction using skin flaps or grafts to the face, head, neck and body.

RSPCA dog welfare expert Dr Samantha Gaines said it was “really worrying” that figures were rising and called for the reform of the current Dangerous Dogs Act, which bans four breeds, as it was “failing”.

She added: “Breed is not an accurate predictor of risk and aggression is a complex behaviour dependent on how dogs are bred, reared and their lifetime experiences. Any dog has the potential to bite.”

She added: “Because dogs and children communicate very differently to one another, children are particularly vulnerable and are more likely to be bitten by a family dog than one who is unfamiliar to them.

“Dogs typically bite when they feel threatened, anxious or in pain so that’s why it’s incredibly important for parents to understand and recognise important body language signs. However, these events are generally rare. There are an estimated 10 million dogs living in the UK and the vast majority live harmoniously with their families.”

A Dogs Trust spokesman said: “No matter how well behaved your dog is, never leave them alone with your child, carefully monitor their interactions and intervene before worrying situations escalate.”

‘Never leave a dog with a child’