Huddersfield Dog Attack Tragedy - UK's 33rd Dog Attack Death:

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Huddersfield Dog Attack Tragedy - UK's 33rd Dog Attack Death:

No. 487/2016

17 August 2016

Our Ref: P18/16

Huddersfield Dog Attack Tragedy - UK's 33rd Dog Attack Death:
To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

Reproduced below is the press release issued yesterday following Monday's Dog Attack Death in Huddersfield.

The CWU, which represents the largest number of dog attack victims in the UK, has today expressed its condolences and deepest sympathies to the friends and family of the latest dog attack fatality in Huddersfield, which came just week after one of its members was savaged and severely injured in a dog attack in the same area.

A 52 year-old man was killed this week while trying to protect his own small dog after the attack was launched in the Sheepridge area of Huddersfield on Monday. The owner a 31 year-old man has been arrested.

Not far from the location of Monday's fatality, a postman was attacked and received very serious arm injuries requiring emergency treatment and plastic surgery, when a dog leapt a garden fence and attacked him while on his rounds in the Meltham area of Huddersfield on 22 July.

Dave Joyce, CWU National Health and Safety Officer, who spearheaded the union’s successful ‘Bite-Back’ campaign to revise the UK’s dangerous dogs laws, said: "This is another tragic loss of life and a big concern to our union."

Dave added: "The CWU sends condolences to the family and friends of the victim, but we've done this on too many occasions now."

"Although our campaign succeeded in changing and toughening up the law and sentences, this latest death, the UK's 33rd Dog Attack Death and the 30th since 2005, this again highlights the danger posed by dogs and the need to tackle irresponsible ownership."

“Whilst a lot of talk centres on the breed of the animal, the problem is 'on the other end of the lead'. How many more lives must be lost before more effective action through adequate resources and controls are put in place? We still get 3,000 to 4,000 attacks on CWU members every year and this must stop. The breed and type of dog is secondary to the bad ownership problem. These people shouldn't have dogs at all."

The CWU has been campaigning for changes to the UK's dog control laws through its 'Bite Back' campaign, which was set up in 2008 following near-fatal attacks on two postal workers in Sheffield and Cambridge. The CWU's campaign has achieved new Dangerous Dogs Act Laws across the UK.

The CWU campaigned for seven years to get the law changes in Scotland, then Northern Ireland in 2011 and finally in England and Wales in 2014. Over that period, 30,000 postmen and women and hundreds of telecom engineers were attacked by dogs, with many seriously injured.

Some 70 per cent of these attacks take place on private property where irresponsible owners were previously immune from criminal prosecution. The changes extended the law to apply everywhere plus introduced extended police seizure powers and tougher sentences of up to 14 years in jail and unlimited fines. Recently an Essex Dog Owner was fined £8,800 when his dog bit off the fingertips of a Postwoman, signalling a big increase in fine levels following new Court Sentencing Guidance from the Sentencing Council.

Dave Joyce added: "More police dog legislation and officer and dog warden resources are needed and an injection of resources into public awareness campaigns, training and ownership controls need examining."

“We cannot allow this situation of dog attack deaths to continue at the present rate – it’s not acceptable in a civilised society."

-Press Statement Ends-

NOTE:

The 33 Deaths are made up of 17 Children and 16 Adults, occurring in the following years.

Year

Deaths

1989

1

1990

0

1991

1

1992

0

1993

1

1994

0

1995

0

1996

0

1997

0

1998

0

1999

0

2000

0

2001

0

2002

0

2003

0

2004

0

2005

1

2006

1

2007

2

2008

1

2009

5

2010

2

2011

0

2012

3

2013

4

2014

6

2015

3

2016

2

Attachments:-

Dog Attack Deaths in the UK details.
Press Reports on the recent Huddersfield Dog Attack fatality.
Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer