Liverpool: dog attack national hotspot
Liverpool dog attacks – statistics released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that Primary Care Trusts in the Liverpool area have dealt with consistently high and increasing rates of dog attacks. One in six dog attacks takes place in the north west of England.
The report shows a 6% rise in the year on year number of dog attacks in Liverpool – similar high numbers of dog attacks (with increasing rates) are only known elsewhere in the UK at county level, with Buckinghamshire and Hampshire also ranking highly.
Kennel Club Secretary Caroline Kisko has recently spoken out about the issue:
safety and dog welfare remain paramount we need to make changes to
this country’s strategy on dogs which are allowed to be out
of control. It is absolutely crucial that we get it
right to avoid a further increase in
dog bite incidents.”
Liverpool dog bites – children at risk
Children are at increased risk of sustaining a serious injury from a dog attack. The 0-9 age group has the highest rate of admission for plastic surgery to the face and neck following a dog attack.
In June 2015, Merseyside police launched a dog bite awareness campaign aimed at raising awareness in primary school children. A series of summer events has been planned, including school visits.
Inspector Phelps of the Merseyside Police force commented:
let your child wake a sleeping dog. Don’t let your child interfere
with a dog while it’s being fed and when a child approaches
a dog, speak to the owner first and ask
is it OK to stroke the dog.”
Dog attacks on Liverpool postal workers
Merseyside Police and Royal Mail have joined forces to increase awareness of penalty fares in place for dog owners who do not take reasonable measures to prevent attacks.
Postal worker Claire Millen required several stitches following a dog attack at a Liverpool home in September 2014. An average of eight postal workers suffer dog attacks each day across the UK – almost 3,000 attacks were reported in the year ending April 2015.
Ms Millen said:
I am now scared to take my children out to the park in
case there are dogs running around there.”That’s why I fully support Royal Mail’s Dog Awareness Week 2015 campaign
and I would urge owners to make sure their dogs are safely in
the house and under their control whenever
anyone calls at the door.”
Recent changes to the law mean that a dog owner whose animal causes fatal injuries in an attack could now face an increased prison sentence of 14 years. Where the injuries are severe but not fatal, the dog owner may now face up to five years in prison.
Dog bite compensation – speak to the experts
If you have been injured in a dog attack, you could be entitled to maximum personal injury compensation. We understand that you may have questions regarding your claim – that is why we offer you a FREE no-obligation consultation. For further information about dog bite compensation, and to discover how we could help you, speak to our dedicated team of solicitors today on 0800 888 6 888 or email
Sources:
hscic.gov.uk
The Kennel Club
Merseyside Police
