FOI ref: FOI-2023-1499
You asked
Please can you tell me the exact number of deaths from breed-specific dog attacks in the UK between 2019 and 2023.
I would also like to request:
1. ALL deaths CONFIRMED TO BE CAUSED DIRECTLY by Dog bites or attacks on humans between 2019 and up to which month we are in, in 2023.
2. ALL of the EXACT, EXPERTLY CONFIRMED BREED OF DOGS that were said to be directly responsible for each of the corresponding deaths between 2019 and up to which month we are in, in 2023
3. ALL and any known circumstances, statements or accounts by identified and verified witnesses at the time for each of the corresponding deaths and all of the surrounding factors at the time of the attack.
- Where did the event take place?
- What type of environment did the event happen in?
- Were the dogs owned by the victims or caring for them?
- How many dogs were present at the time of the attack?
- How many dogs were SPECIFICALLY known to have caused the death.
- If more than one dog was present at the time how many were killed at the scene?
- If more than one dog was killed at the scene why was this and how was it determined that they were all specifically responsible and did they show evidence of blood on them as some not responsible and not showing aggression would have been trying to lick the wounds of their owners.
- If the dog was showing no signs of guarding the body or further aggression were they shot on scene or were they taken to a vet to be assessed for any pain, trauma or illness that may have provoked such attack?
- Were any of the dogs involved found to have signs of mistreatment, including poor living environment?
- Were they in kennels, left outdoors or house dogs?
- Were they malnourished or overweight?
- Were the living conditions assessed by the authorities when it was deemed a crime scene?
4. We would request ALL bodycam footage of the corresponding animal before being killed.
5. The Sex of the corresponding dog and if neutered or spayed.
6. The age of the dog that caused the corresponding death.
7. Was it known if the person killed had the corresponding dog from a puppy?
8. The age and gender of the human killed.
9. The area in which the death happened.
10. The Determined cause of death on the death certificate.
11. How many humans were bitten or mauled but not mortally wounded by dogs between 2019 to date.
12. ALL of the EXACT, EXPERTLY CONFIRMED BREED OF DOGS that were said to be directly responsible for each of the corresponding bites or mauls.
13. Were the dogs male or female and were they intact, spayed or neutered?
14. How old were the victims of the bites and were they male or female?
15. Where was the location in which the biting & mauling took place? Home, garden, out on a walk, escaped etc.
16. Were the dogs known to the victims and were they pets?
17. Who is the expert that determines the specific and breed of the dog/s that have committed and attack?
18. What qualifies them to be eligible to determine an exact and specific breed?
19. What makes a Police Firearms Officer eligible to deem a dog an illegal breed or shoot a dog using deadly force?
20. How is the breed assessed and to what breed standards if a breed expert is not looking at the animal?
We said
Thank you for your request.
We are responsible for the production of mortality statistics for deaths registered in England and Wales. This is driven by information collected from death certificates at death registration. National Records Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for statistics pertaining to Scotland and Northern Ireland. They can be contacted at foi@nrscotland.gov.uk and info@nisra.gov.uk respectively for information pertaining to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Causes of death are certified in most cases by a doctor, who records the sequence of medical conditions and relevant events leading to, or contributing to, the death, based on the deceased's healthcare records and other available information, such as laboratory tests or post-mortem investigation. Some deaths are certified by a coroner who determines the causes of death following an inquest, based on all the available evidence. It is unusual for wider contextual factors such as dog breed to be recorded on the death certificate.
Our mortality data comes from the information collected at death registration. All the conditions mentioned on the death certificate are coded using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). From all of these causes an underlying cause of death is selected using ICD-10 coding rules.
The underlying cause of death is defined by WHO as:
a) the disease or injury that initiated the train of events directly leading to death, or
b) the circumstances of the accident or violence that produced the fatal injury
Q1 and 15:
Please see the associated download named 'Deaths due to and involving being bitten or struck by a dog, registered between 2019 and 2023' which contains the following tables:
Table 1: Number of deaths where the underlying cause of death was bitten or struck by a dog, deaths registered between 2019 and 2023(p), Regions in England and Wales
Table 2: Number of deaths where bitten or struck by a dog was mentioned on the death certificate, deaths registered between 2019 and 2023(p), Regions in England and Wales
Table 3: Number of deaths where the underlying cause of death was bitten or struck by a dog, deaths registered between 2019 and 2023(p), accident location in England and Wales
Please refer to the following notes when examining the data.
Notes:
Deaths where bitten or struck by a dog was recorded on the deaths certificate are coded to International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision (ICD-10) code W54.
Figures are for deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in each calendar year. Due to the length of time it takes to complete a coroner's inquest, it can take months or even years for deaths from external causes and accidents to be registered. For more information see our Impact of registrations delays release. Impact of registration delays on mortality statistics in England and Wales publication.
Figures for 2023 are provisional.
Figures are for deaths registered up to 30 September 2023
Figures are based on boundaries as of August 2023
Qs 2 to 14 and 16 to 20:
We do not hold information on any of the other questions you have asked in this Freedom of Information request.
Information on circumstances, statement of accounts, witness statements, police bodycam footage, ownership, breed, number, condition or welfare of dog(s), may be available by contacting the relevant police force in England and Wales.