'Worrying rise in dog attacks on children' - surgeon
Getty ImagesHealth officials in West Sussex have reported a concerning rise in the number of children being treated for dog-related injuries.
The Queen Victoria Hospital (QVH) in East Grinstead, which specialises in reconstructive surgery, said it was having to deploy more resources to treat children bitten by dogs.
Siva Kumar, consultant surgeon at the QVH, told the BBC the rise in dog attacks was mainly affecting adults, but there had been a "worrying" increase in the number of paediatric cases since the Covid pandemic.
He said more cases involved head and neck injuries, especially in children under five due to their size and because they tend to put their faces near dogs.
'Attacks are preventable'
Mr Kumar said a "really important" public health message was that a large majority of dog bites were preventable.
"We need to educate both kids and parents that if there is a dog that they're not familiar with, just be careful and mindful," he added.
Mr Kumar also urged people to ensure dogs were "well supervised".
Dog attacks recorded by police in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex have risen 38% since 2018, according to figures.
Offences where a dog was dangerously out of control causing injury to a person or guide dog rose to 2,884 in 2023 from 2,083 in 2018.
Ownership has grown, in parallel.
The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals estimated there were some 11 million dogs in the UK in 2023 - up 8% in one year.
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