Dog bites cases on the rise

London: The number of people taken to hospital with dog bites has almost doubled in a decade, figures revealed on Monday. Dog bite cases in casualty departments topped 6,000 for the first time this year.

Last month judicial authorities proposed new sentencing guidelines for the courts, suggesting two-year jail terms for the worst offenders as a result of the growing frequency of dangerous dog incidents. The Sentencing Council said it wanted to ensure irresponsible owners are prevented from keeping dogs; dangerous dogs are put down; and attack victims are properly compensated. According to NHS statistics, the number of dog bites reported at A&E departments has risen by 94 per cent over 10 years — reaching 6,097 in the year to the end of March 2011. Court convictions for dog offences have also been rising rapidly.

— Daily Mail