Northamptonshire Police urges dog owners to control pets

Northamptonshire Police said recent dog attacks have involved young children ad could have resulted in fatalities

Northamptonshire Police is urging dog owners to keep control of their pets after a rise in dog attacks.

So far this month, at least three people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Figures provided by Northamptonshire Police show there were 361 reported dog attacks in 2021, compared to 263 in 2018.

The force said some of those attacks involved young children and could have resulted in fatalities.

A spokesperson for Northamptonshire Police said: "We cannot stress this enough, if you own or have control of a dog, please make yourself aware of all the steps you can take to prevent the risk of harm to other people."

On 8 July, two people were taken to hospital with serious injuries after being bitten by a dog in Ericsson Close, Daventry. Police said a man was arrested in connection with the incident.

Six days later a runner was bitten by a dog on the High Street in Wellingborough. The female runner was taken to hospital and needed surgery for her injuries,

Simon Hollis, a 56-year-old keen runner from Broughton in Northamptonshire, said runners and dog owners needed "better education". He was also been bitten by a dog while out running.

Keen runner Simon Hollis said a dog attack in Loddington missed his leg by a millimetre

"I was running along the street, this was in Loddington, and a young lad, probably only 11 or 12 [years old] was walking a dog. And as I ran past, the dog took a bite which went straight through my shorts and just missed my leg by about a millimetre," he said.

"It was so unexpected. The dog didn't show any signs of aggression. My phone was in my pocket bouncing about a bit, I think that's the thing that attracted it.

"It was a close call. Luckily it didn't make contact with my leg."

"Dog owners don't understand the issues with runners. Maybe the answer is education, not just for dog owners but for runners too," Mr Hollis added.

A BBC investigation earlier this year found that the number of dog attacks recorded by police in England and Wales had risen by more than a third in the past five years.

Northamptonshire Police said the recent rise in attacks could be down to an increase in dog ownership since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said forces across the UK had been focusing on attacks.

Dog trainer Emma Woodruff said some owners did not bother with proper training

Emma Woodruff, a 33-year-old dog trainer in Wootton near Northampton, said there are many reasons why dogs become aggressive.

"Sometimes it can be genetics, and also some dog owners don't bother training their dogs at all," she said.

"Dogs are being kept on the lead a lot more now, and during the pandemic everyone was keeping a distance, so now that everyone is mingling again, dogs are struggling."