CWU.org. Bite back campaign
Children & People Injured & Killed
in
Dog Attacks
“How many more children must be killed and injured by dogs before effective laws come into force?“ demands heartbroken mum Veronica Lynch. Mother of Kelly Lynch who was killed by dogs in 1989
Compiled by the CWU National Health & SafetyDepartment.
Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) 1991 – 2011 Facts
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 created a new offence of being an owner of a dog of any type or breed which is dangerously out of control in a public place. Out of control dogs can be seized by police or local authority officers and the owners face a fine or up to six months in prison. If the dog injures someone, the sentence can be increased to up to two years. The courts also have the power to destroy the animal if they feel it is a danger to public safety. Alternatively male dogs can be neutered. A conviction also means the owner could have to pay for the costs of destroying their dog and could be disqualified from keeping a dog. In addition to any criminal prosecution, victims people can take out civil action against the owner for damages to themselves or property. According to records held by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, over the first decade of the law’s existence only 838 people were prosecuted and of those only 489 sentenced since 1991. In its first decade of operation between 1991 and 2002 the average fine was only£167. Only two people received suspended sentences and only three people were jailed with the average jail term just 3.3 months.
Between 2006 and 2009, there was a marked increase in the number of convicted adults, increasing by 51 per cent from 170 in 2006 to 257 in 2009. In 2010, there were 247 adults convicted for offences of this kind. The proportion resulting in community sentences, Suspended Sentence Orders and immediate custody hasrisen. In 2010, the most frequent sentence outcome was a fine, with 38 per cent of adults sentenced receiving this outcome. Conditional discharges were received by 30 per cent of adults sentenced for offences of this kind, whilst community sentences were imposed for 14 per cent of adults sentenced. In 2010. For adults sentenced to immediate custody, the average custodial sentence length imposed was just 3.2 months and for adults sentenced to a fine, the average amount imposed was just £225. 72 per cent, of fines imposed were for £200 or less and the largest fine amount imposed was £2500. Only a very small number of adults weresentenced to prison with the average jail term around just 4 month
Key facts and figures (Defra)
There are approximately 8-10 million dogs in UK.
In England in 2008/09, there were over 5,000 hospital admissions resulting from being bitten or struck by a dog. However this excludes many thousands of more people treated in GP surgeries,minor injury units (MIU) or accident and emergency (A&E) departments, without being admitted to hospital as an inpatient – no records are kept of these..
In 2009, dog attacks on people in England cost the Health Service £3.3 million.
Estimate of 6,000 dog attacks on postmen/women each year.
The number of dogs dangerously out of control continues to increase.
Police, local authorities and animal welfare groups work together in a few areas to promote responsible dog ownership on a voluntary basis.
