Families speak of devastation amid rise of dog attacks

Ciccio was killed by another dog while out on a walk with his family

Families have described their devastation after a rise in dog attacks.

The number of attacks recorded by police in England and Wales has risen by more than a third in the past five years, a BBC investigation found.

Across the South West, owners are now calling for more to be done.

Julie Chatzimargiotis' cavapoo, which had become one of the "closest friends" to her non-verbal four-year-old son, was killed while being walked near their home in St Philips, Bristol. A 42-year-old man has been arrested and the dog was seized by police.

Julie wants more protection for dog owners

Ms Chatzimargiotis is now calling for owners to keep their dog on leads and for Bristol City Council to roll out more wardens in the area.

Her eldest son, 14, was walking their beloved Ciccio when another dog approached - believed to be a rottweiler-pitbull, claimed Ms Chatzimargiotis.

It reportedly bit Ciccio's neck before attacking her son and another dog.

"Our neighbours heard the screaming and came out to see what was going on," she said.

"We think Ciccio died straight away. My son had blood on his face - he was very frightened.

"He is now too scared to go out on his own."

She adopted Ciccio as a puppy to help her non-verbal autistic son. They had formed a strong relationship, and he played with dog every day.

Honey said Pippa was lucky to survive the attack

In Westbury, Wiltshire, Honey Thorne's bichon frise pug-mix dog, Pippa, almost died after being attacked by a suspected banned breed.

A white dog, which looked like a pitball, grabbed Pippa by the chest, Mrs Thorne said.

Matthew Thorne was walking Pippa with their second dog and said he "panicked".

"I was trying to keep our other dog away and help Pippa," he said.

"Someone stopped their car and pulled the jaw open to get her out."

Pippa was taken to a vet and required stitches.

"It missed her jugular by inches," said Mrs Thorne. "If it had of hit, she would have bled to death."

Police forces across the country are now using the dog safety course launched by Wiltshire Police

Wiltshire Police is leading the way when it comes to tackling the rise of incidents. PC Paul Croft teamed up with the Blue Cross Animal Charity to create a Responsible Dog Owners Course.

The online course is aimed at low-level, first-time offenders.

“We know that a lack of understanding and education by dog owners can play a significant part in dog bites – dogs rarely bite without provocation so this online course helps dog owners recognise the ‘canine ladder of communication’ when it comes to dog bites," said PC Croft.

“I’m really pleased that 30 forces have introduced the course. I am hopeful that it will help contribute to a reduction in dog bite incidents nationally.”

Around 70% of dog bite incidents happen in people’s homes, with most victims being young children, PC Croft added.

A Bristol City Council spokesperson said the authority "investigates reports of dog on dog attacks".

"Action is taken where appropriate to prevent future instances - this can include the need for muzzling and keeping dogs on a lead when in a public space," the spokesperson added.

Last year, there were nearly 22,000 cases of out-of-control dogs causing injury. In 2018, there were just over 16,000.

The UK's dog population is estimated to have risen by only 15% in that time.

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