More than 1,700 people injured

More than one person a day was treated at Tayside emergency departments after being injured by a dog last year.

Since the start of 2012, 1,759 people were taken to Ninewells Hospital and Perth Royal Infirmary having been bitten, scratched or struck by a dog.

Of those, 247 were children aged under 10.

Last year saw the highest number of people in six years treated at A&E, 416.

Tracy Genever, head of education services for Blue Cross, an animal welfare charity, said: “Things a child might see as affectionate or playful can seem threatening or frightening to a dog and cause them to react.

“Teaching children to try to see things from the dog’s point of view will help keep them safe.

“Children should never be left alone with a dog. With family pets it’s important to establish house rules and generally to behave calmly around them.”

An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said: “The overwhelming majority of dog related attendances we see at the emergency department are very minor injuries.

“It’s very rare to see a patient suffering from a severe dog-related injury that would require further treatment.”

In February last year, a Kirriemuir toddler was rushed to hospital with facial injuries following a dog attack.

The two-year-old girl was bitten by a Staffordshire bull terrier and taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.