Poll results: What do you think can be done to stop dog attacks?
With dog attacks in the UK continuing to rise, Mirror readers have suggested some drastic measures to help curb the crisis - from compulsory muzzling outside to mandatory training for new owners.
They were answering our poll what do you think can be done to stop dog attacks? following two fatal incidents in the UK already this year.
And only this week it was announced that the number of savage dog attacks reported to police has soared by 46 per cent in the past five years, with experts warning the problem will only get worse.
The past two decades have seen a tripling of the number of adults requiring hospital treatment after being bitten by a dog, with 2022 seeing a record-breaking ten dog-related deaths.
An average of four dog bites involving children occur every day in the UK.
Girl, 4, mauled to death in dog attack pictured as neighbours hear mum's screams
So what do our readers think is the answer?
Our poll results showed 327 of you wanted to ban more breeds, while 99 said ramping up education about pets in schools was the way forward.
Fifty-four said there should be more help from local authorities with training, while 42 requested increased funding for shelters to help people who take in rescues.
Our poll also allowed you to come up with some suggestions of your own on how best to tackle the crisis.
In the past 20 years, the number of adults requiring hospital treatment after being bitten by a dog has tripled. (AFP via Getty Images)'All dogs have the potential to attack'
Many of you wanted all dogs to be muzzled if outside - even if in their own garden, as one person suggested.
'I have been saying it for years. All dogs have the potential to attack. The only way to secure people's safety is to make it a legal requirement to muzzle all dogs,' said another.
A further popular request was for there to be a compulsory dog licence and for stricter controls/laws on who can own animals.
Many also wanted all dogs to be kept on a lead in any public place as well as owners to take on mandatory training.
Several readers suggested there should be a 'suitability' check for anyone wanting to have a dog.
Our initial story attracted a lot of comments, here's a flavour of how our readers responded:
Dog shot dead by police after mauling girl, 4, to death in horror attack
Annlfc: 'It’s not the breeds, it’s the ignorance of people not understanding the breed -and also having no knowledge whatsoever of dogs.'
Brisie: 'I'm not sure if there's any actual truth in the saying 'it's not bad dogs but bad owners.
'Some dogs do have a high 'prey drive' in them. Having had dobermans for the past 50 years in our family, none of them ever did anything wrong in that way.
'They were family dogs and treated as such despite their reputation. I think it may be just a matter of time before the American bully XL is on the banned list. Both my daughter and granddaughter have them and I've always found them to be as good as gold.'
Mel12: 'When I was attacked by a dog last year, sustaining a black eye, grazing and losing a tooth, the local dog warden put the blame anywhere but at the owner's feet.'
Loopholeandthetaxdodgers: 'It's an impossible task. Even the most loving dog can turn as they get older. But leaving a child alone with a dog is something you should never do. In general, bad dogs are down to bad owners - whatever the breed'.
i-: 'Make it law that any dog on the street or parks must be muzzled'.
Brok: 'Make it compulsory for new owners to do a six-week (one day a week) training course from the day they take on the animal. Ban unlicensed puppy farms and make the licence to run them more expensive with withdrawal of said licence for illegal or cruel practices.'
M58: 'Make it a legal requirement that all dogs are muzzled when in the company of children and vulnerable people indoors. And they must be kept on a lead when outside.'
HelenT: 'Potential dog owners need more vetting. The breeder I used came and checked our property before she'd even let us look at her pups.'
Frankbevan007: 'Every dog chipped and on a DNA database - like they have in Italy.'
What do YOU think can be done to stop dog attacks? More help from local authorities with training? More banned breeds? Picture used for illustrative purposes only. (Getty Images)Canine attacks are clearly escalating - but what exactly is fuelling them?
It has been claimed the rise could be down to families buying dogs during lockdown and the pets not being socialised properly.
Rosie Bescoby, a clinical animal behaviourist, told Sky News that further problems were caused by unqualified dog trainers on social media potentially fuelling aggression through 'a kind of DIY approach to potentially quite dangerous problems'.
Whatever the cause, experts largely agree something has definitely changed in the way humans and dogs interact.
RSPCA dog specialist Dr Sam Gaines believes the spike in attacks could be linked to the UK’s list of banned dogs, with Brits assuming any breed omitted as being safe.
She pointed out that 'any dog' has the potential to be dangerous.
The Mirror has been campaigning for changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act in the wake of a string of fatalities, amid claims little is being done to stop them.
Do YOU agree with the poll results? Perhaps you have some different views about how best to stop the rise in dog attacks? Let us know in the comments below.
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