Last year, ten people died from fatal dog attacks in the United Kingdom and, just over halfway through 2023, we have seen five more deaths.

Whilst these tragic attacks are the most widely reported, dog attacks in general are on the rise. The BBC found that in 2018, around 16,400 dog attacks resulted in injury. This has increased dramatically to nearly 22,000 incidents in 2022.

These statistics do not include those who self-present at hospital rather than going to the police, or those who decide not to seek medical help. It can be assumed that the true number is far higher. Attacks have also increased post the Covid pandemic following a huge increase in dog ownership.

What has become very clear to me is that there is now an ‘epidemic’ of dog attacks in our country which must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

This issue grabbed my attention when a constituent of mine, ten-year-old Jack Lis, was killed by an out-of-control American XL Bully whilst at his friend’s house after school. A year later, an 83-year-old woman, also a constituent, was killed by a large dog in her own home. These attacks took place just a few streets from each other.

Over the past eighteen months, I have worked closely with Jack’s mother, Emma, to raise the profile of this issue. We have organised a Parliamentary drop-in session, attended by a large number of MPs and Peers from across the political divide, we have worked with APDAWG (All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group), and we have launched a campaign with the Daily Mirror to encourage a review of the Dangerous Dogs Act – widely seen as an outdated piece of legislation which fails to protect the public.

I have also held regular meetings with the Dog Control Coalition, an organisation representing the key animal welfare charities, as well as with the health and safety lead for the Communication Workers’ Union. Postal workers are some of the most vulnerable to dog attacks and only the other day, Royal Mail announced that they see 37 attacks on their workers every week, with some leading to “permanent and disabling injuries”.

Many issues need to be tackled with regards to out-of-control dogs, and there is not a ‘silver bullet’ to solve the problem. The lack of proper dog training, weak legislation, poor and illegal breeding practices, effective enforcement, and irresponsible dog ownership are all problems which need to be addressed.

Action needs to be taken at different levels, including the local. In my constituency of Caerphilly, Gwent Police are working to implement the LEAD Initiative (Local Environmental Awareness on Dogs). This has produced exceptional results in the areas it has been deployed. The initiative takes all reports of out-of-control dogs seriously, with a dedicated investigating team working preventatively in co-operation with dog owners. Consideration ought to be given to this model being adopted by police forces across the country.

Unlicensed breeders must also be cracked down on. The police openly say that illegal dog breeding is more profitable to criminals than drug dealing.

Everyone agrees that a public information campaign around responsible dog ownership should be a priority. Animal charities and the third sector already do good work in this area, but the reality is that any dog can bite. All members of the public, as well as owners, need to be aware of this, especially if dogs live in a home with children or vulnerable people.

Then there is the issue of dog licensing. At present, in Northern Ireland there is a dog licensing scheme, and its effectiveness needs to be examined carefully. One of the important arguments in favour of a dog licensing scheme is that it could generate much needed funding for a range of dog related issues, and it is something which needs to be actively considered. Whatever specific changes are introduced, they need to be evidence-based so that their effectiveness can be beyond doubt.

Importantly, the Labour Party has recently adopted a policy document at its National Policy Forum which says that a future Labour Government will conduct a review of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. This is hugely important. If Labour forms the next government, we are likely to see significant movement on this issue.