Doctors treating 16 dog attacks a day in Scotland

MORE than 55,000 Scots have been treated in hospital over the past decade after being mauled by dogs.

The number of incidents involving dogs has soared by 50 per cent and children are the most likely to be attacked.

Between 2006 and last year 55,093 people attended accident and emergency departments for treatment for dog bites.

Last year alone, 6,061 people sought help for bite wounds, up from 4,053 in 2006. Of these victims, 5,899 were children under the age of nine.

While most of the injuries treated were to the hands, arms, legs or feet, hundreds of bites to the face were also reported.

Health boards gave no details of the breeds of dog responsible for the increased rate of attacks.

The figures come only days after a fourmonth-old boy died and his brother was left with ‘life-changing injuries’ after being savaged by a dog, believed to be a Staffordshire bull terrier, in Colchester, essex.

Animal behaviourist Italo Medinelli, of Greenock, said: ‘For the population of

‘People buying dogs for the wrong reasons’

Scotland to have so many attacks in that period of time is astounding. It comes down to how we view dogs now. They need not to be treated as a commodity.

‘There are a lot of problems with the dog training industry. There are no regulations, and they could be giving you wrong information.’

Glasgow had the highest rate of hospital admissions for dog attacks over the past ten years. In total, 15,993 people were treated for injuries caused by dogs between 2006 and 2015, 29 per cent of all attacks north of the Border. The next highest was Ayrshire and Arran with 9,966 patients treated, followed by Lanarkshire with 8,454 patients.

The lowest rate was Orkney, where only 13 dog attack injuries were reported in ten years.

There are heavy legal penalties attached to owning a dangerous animal. earlier this month, an owner who set her dog on a woman in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, was jailed for three years after she admitted inciting her pet to attack.

Vickilee Galloway, 37, ordered her Staffordshire bull terrier Jake to attack Stacey Findlay after the two women argued in February last year. Part of Miss Findlay’s ear was torn off during the incident.

Superintendent Davie Duncan of Police Scotland said: ‘We work in partnership with local authorities who have additional powers under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010.

‘Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe and we will deal with any report of irresponsible ownership or dangerous dog behaviour which puts people’s safety at risk.’

Mr Medinelli suggested that ‘irresponsible breeding’ was partly to blame for the rising number of attacks.

He said: ‘Many dogs get off to the worst start in life which leads to behaviour issues. Huge puppy farms churn out pups and there is no thought to the dog’s temperament.

‘There’s no thought to healthcare because the dogs are raised in an improper environment from such a young age.’

Mr Medinelli added that pet owners who suspect their dogs have behavioural problems should contact a professional for help.

He said: ‘People are buying dogs for the wrong reasons and have not got enough time to spend training them. Social media is a big problem because people are seeking out help in the wrong places instead of going to a professional who deals with behaviour issues.’

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: ‘Any dog can be aggressive through an owner’s lack of training or through deliberate encouragement of bad behaviour.

‘It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure their pet is kept under control at all times. Anyone with an animal that shows aggression towards another animal or person has a responsibility to rectify this problem through training or veterinary advice.’