Dog-on-dog attacks have “skyrocketed” by 700 percent since the pandemic, Parliament has been told.
MP Anna Firth said the increase was down to the purchasing of “pandemic puppies” during COVID-19 lockdowns as she called for a new law to tackle the scourge.
The Tory politician said the true figure is likely to be far higher—as just 14 out of 43 of the UK’s police forces record the attacks.
She estimated that the figures, which have jumped from 1,700 in 2016, to a staggering 11,559, could be as high as 35,000 throughout the UK.
In London alone, police recorded 2,264 dog-on-dog attacks.
Firth gathered the information through Freedom of Information requests as she proposed a bill to make vicious dog attacks a crime.
“Emily’s Law”—named after the savaged dog of one of Firth’s constituents—would “empower owners to pursue justice if their beloved pet is brutally attacked,” the MP told the Commons on Tuesday.
“Research also shows, Mr. Speaker, that companionship is the most common reason for having a dog and that was absolutely the case for my constituent Michael,” the politician said.
“Michael, who is with us today in the public gallery, lost his long-standing girlfriend unexpectedly and suddenly to epilepsy.
“After her death, he adopted her beautiful white fluffy Bichon Frise Emily, known affectionately as Millie, both to keep him company, but also to help him grieve.”
Firth described how, while walking the “gentle sweet, obedient” pet through a park on Leigh-on-Sea, a larger dog set upon Millie.
The small dog was “torn apart in front of his eyes” and had to be put to sleep, the MP said.
Attacks Increasing
Firth said: “After this incident I submitted Freedom of Information request to all 43 police forces in the UK, asking one, if they record dog-on-dog attacks as separate offences and two, if so, how many they have recorded over the past five years.“Shockingly, only 14 police forces currently record a dog-on-dog attack as a separate incident.
“However, of that 14, in 2016 there were 1,700 dog-on-dog attacks reported and recorded.
“Since lockdown with everyone buying their COVID-19 pandemic puppies, the numbers have skyrocketed—in 2021 the same 14 police forces recorded 11,559 dog-on-dog attacks, a 700 percent increase with a shocking 2,264 in London alone.”
The MP added that “it would be ridiculous to assume” that dog attacks only occur in areas where police forces happen to record them.
“So scaled up, therefore, there could be as many as 35,000 dog-on-dog attacks each year across the UK and increasing,” she said.
“Indeed pet insurance companies have also reported dog-on-dog attacks to be rising and resulting in vets bills running too many thousands of pounds for affected households.”
Although criminal and civil laws have been strengthened in recent years to protect public safety from dangerous dogs, they do not apply to owners whose dogs fatally attack or seriously injure other animals.
Irresponsible Owners
Describing the current legislation under the Animal Welfare Act as “simply not right,” Firth said her proposed bill would “extend the same protection to pet dogs that already exists for service, guide and assistance dogs.’She said: “Pet dogs are as important to humans as service dogs. Indeed when it comes to mental health, all dogs or service dogs.”
Firth also added that there is a “growing cohort of evidence” that tackling dog-on-dog aggression and attacks “may well prevent a dog from going on and attacking other animals, adults or even children.”
Urging Parliament to back her 10-minute rule motion, Firth said it aimed to protect the 13 million dogs across the UK.
“Most dog owners are responsible, but there must be consequences for the small minority who are not,” she said.
“This is about dealing with that small minority who irresponsibly allow their dogs to kill other people’s dogs.
“By passing this bill not only will we help to make all dogs more secure, we'll also make our parks our streets, our towns and our cities, especially the new city of South End, safer places for us all to live, work and visit.”
The motion received unanimous support and will be brought before MPs again in November.
