Dog attacks: Merseyside Police campaign aims to prevent bites

Merseyside Police says it has the highest number of reported dog bites causing injury in the country

A police force is advising dog owners to keep their animals on leads in public and asking people not to approach dogs they do not know.

The campaign aims to prevent dog attacks in Merseyside after the region was revealed to have the highest dog bites injury rate in the country.

Merseyside Police said the Take the Lead campaign offered "knowledge and skills" for responsible dog owners.

Data showed children under 16 were most likely to be the victims of dog bites.

The risk "increases significantly" in the summer school holidays as children spend more time in public spaces or at home with pets, the force said.

During the campaign Merseyside Police will post videos on social media and speak to people in parks and other public places.

• Why are there more dog attacks in summer?

Insp Katie Wilkinson said it was "crucial" to educate young people from an early age "about how to be around dogs".

"Some of our simple messages includes not bothering dogs when they are eating their dinner or when they are sleeping and not approaching a dog you don't know.

"If walking your dog out in your community, always make sure they are on a lead and consider whether they need to be muzzled."

Statistics provided by the School of Veterinary Science at the University of Liverpool showed that in Merseyside, there tends to be more dog bites in areas with socio-economic challenges.

Between 1998 and 2018 around 5% of all national hospital admissions in relation to dog bites occurred in Merseyside, with Knowsley containing the most incidents per populations across 333 local authorities in England.

Bella-Rae Birch died in hospital after a dog attack in St Helens

Dog attacks in Merseyside

• An entire street in Wavertree went without post for almost six months after a Royal Mail employee was chased and attacked by a dog

• A four-year-old boy was left with life-changing injuries after being attacked during a visit to a friend's house in Norris Green

• On 21 March 2022 17-month-old Bella-Rea Birch was killed after she was attacked by a dog in her home on Bidston Avenue in St Helens

• On 3 October 2022, Ann Dunn, aged 65, died following a dog attack at a house in St Brigid's Crescent, in Kirkdale

• In January, a three-year-old boy suffered serious facial injuries after he was attacked by a French Bulldog inside a home in Sefton

• A seven-year-old girl was taken to hospital after she was mauled by a dog in a park in Wallasey on 17 July

Dr Carri Westgarth, a dog behaviour expert from the University of Liverpool, said: "It is important to remember that any dog can bite regardless of how well you know it, and most bites will occur in the owner's home.

"It's important to give dogs their own safe space to be alone, give them plenty of exercise and mental stimulation, and when your dog wants to be left alone leave them be."

She said "dogs do not want to bite you" and it was a "last resort response", adding that people should look for warning signs of dogs "being uncomfortable in a situation and remove yourselves, or them, from it".

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]