The number of people sent to hospital due to injuries suffered from dog attacks in Wales has risen by 60% over the last decade.
According to the BBC, the figures, collated from NHS data indicate that on average every day somebody is hospitalised because of a dog attack.
The number of incidents has risen from 234 in 1999/2000 to 373 in the year ending March 2009.
Campaigners are calling for compulsory dog micro-chipping to help deal with the problem.
Even worse it is understood that the actual number of dog attack injuries could be higher that these statistics because they do not include victims who were treated in accident and emergency departments or doctors surgeries.
As many as 800 attacks have been reported to South Wales Police over the last two-and-a-half years.
Cynon Valley AM Christine Chapman said of the attacks “Some were pretty horrific”.
She also indicated a potential reason why these dog attack numbers have increased, stating that they are being kept for protection. They are known as “status dogs” and are used as aggressors for rival gangs.
Labour MP Betty Williams is one of those who has suffered an attack at the hands of a dog and as a result now states that “My arm is disfigured, I still experience pain and discomfort when I’m writing and also have discomfort when I’m eating.”
Micro-chipping is now being considered as compulsory by the Welsh Assembly. This has the support of David Ryan, chairman of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors who states that the responsibility of having a dog should also require taking out third party insurance.
One of the big issues when trying to make a dog bite claim is locating the owner of the animal as without their details you cannot make a claim for injury as there is nobody to pursue the claim against. Micro-chipping animals would make it considerably easier to locate dog owners and the requirement to have third party insurance would mean that victims of an attack could gain adequate compensation for their injuries and not be limited by the means of the person responsible for the animal.
