Deadly attacks by dogs soar to record high as campaigners warn ban on XL bullies doesn’t go far enough
Fatal dog attacks have surged to a record high in the last two years as campaigners, victims’ families and animal charities warn changes to the law do not go far enough.
There have been 16 deaths by dog bites recorded so far this year, more than double the six fatalities in 2022. Between 1991 and 2021, the number never went above five, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.
The increase has been blamed on a rise in dog ownership sparked by Covid – 11 million in 2023 compared to 9.6 million in 2021, according to charity PDSA – with puppies bred and smuggled from abroad with little care for their welfare.
The overall number of dog attacks has also soared. Figures obtained from police forces in England and Wales show there has been an almost 60 per cent rise in the last five years.
