More Than three UK Guide Dogs Attacked By Other Dogs Every Month
Published on June 18, 2010 by Jennifer White · 5 CommentsOn average, more than three guide dogs are attacked by other dogs every month in the UK, suggests a review of 100 such incidents published in this week’s Veterinary Record.
Bull breeds account for around four out of 10 of the aggressors, the findings show. The authors, two of whom work for the UK Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, analysed information on 100 canine attacks on guide dogs between November 2006 and April 2009.
They wanted to quantify the frequency and severity of such attacks, and the impact on both the handler and the dog.
Almost two thirds of the attacks (61%) were made on dogs that were in harness and working with their owner or trainer at the time. Most (85.7%) of the aggressor and (62%) victim dogs were male.
Labradors, golden retrievers, and retriever cross breeds were the types of dog most likely to be attacked, with most of the incidents taking place in public places and in daylight hours between 0900 and 1500 hours.
Most of the attacking dogs (61%) were off the lead at the time. And, excluding cross breeds, almost half of the aggressors (just under 46%) were bull breeds – bulldogs, mastiffs, bull terriers, pit bull types and Staffordshire bull terriers.
This is a much higher proportion than is found in the general dog population of the UK, where bull breeds account for around 6%, say the authors.
Guard dog breeds made up the next largest proportion of aggressors (13.6%), roughly double the proportion of these breeds in the UK dog population as a whole (just under 6%).
Forty-one guide dogs needed veterinary care after the attack. In one in five cases (19%), either the handler or a member of the public sustained injuries, including scratching, bruising, and bites to the hands, ankle or head. In eight of these 19 cases, medical attention was required.
The attack affected either the performance or the behaviour of around half the guide dogs attacked (45%). Two dogs had to be withdrawn from guiding service.
There were also emotional repercussions for the owners/handlers, who received an apology from the owners of the aggressor dogs in only six cases. In eight cases, they left the scene without saying anything to the handler.
This is despite the fact that many of the handlers were shocked and distressed, and unable to see if their dog needed veterinary care after the attack, say the authors.
There are around 4500 working guide dogs in the UK, supported by the Association, and it costs around £50,000 to maintain a guide dog during its life time, they point out.
“The financial implications of attacks on guide dogs should not be underestimated,” they write, “especially if retraining or replacing a guide dog is necessary.”
And they add: “Most importantly, a person in critical need of a guide dog may be without one for a period of time while waiting for a suitable replacement to be trained; this will impact on their quality of life and mobility.”
Source: Veterinary Record
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Tags: Animal Charities, Animal Cruelty, Dangerous Dogs, dog attacks
I’ve seen this story splashed all over the media but to what ends? Can we have some commentary or opinion please otherwise it’s just a load of hyped up statistics that you are repeating.
Perhaps it needs mentioning that guide dog users are less able to see a potential dog flash point coming up whereas a sighted owner may take evasive action. Perhaps it also needs mentioning that Labradours are notoriously difficult for other dogs to ‘read’ which is why my Labradour almost always gets attacked by German Shepherds and other black and tan breeds. They just don’t have the range of obvious dog signals that breeds such as Huskies have.
Well you know what to do then, ban all bull breeds, simple…………. no stop, that was a cynical remark, but is just kind the ignorance that will be spewed about pretty soon….
These people who own the dogs that are attacking the guide dogs, obviously have know concern for their own animals, so why would they have any care for someone elses animals!
Sorry thought I’d just say that.
i am sick and tired of thees people, that own this type of dog breed thay like to think it makes them tuff there is know love for the dog it has to stop it has got worse in the last dacade i have always had dogs and make sure i am in charge not everybody should own a dog.
As a Guide Dog Owner, whose dog has recently been bitten (albeit not seriously, thankfully) by one of the breeds reported in the article, I feel I am reasonably well qualified to comment on this matter. I must confess to being somewhat confused by what Jake Sales is trying to say above, “Perhaps it needs mentioning that guide dog users are less able to see a potential dog flash point coming up” are you suggesting then that it is the Guide Owner who should be taking steps to avoid such confrontations? As a matter of interest, speaking for myself, I can gauge a situation better know than when I could see completely because I am less reliant on obvious visual signals which are often misleading, especially in the case of dogs (Tail wagging as an example is often misinterpreted as joy rather than heightened attention or excitement which would be, I believe, a more accurate description)
As for “They just don’t have the range of obvious dog signals that breeds such as Huskies have.” I believe you are getting confused here! The simple matter is that Guide Dogs are working dogs and as with any Working Dog you do not see the same behaviours as you would with the average pet, especially the “Pets” we are talking about here, which are typically one short step from being little more than feral. If you put a sniffer dog along side a pet you would see a similar disparity in behaviours.
The simple fact is that if you own a dog you need to control it and take responsibility for it; equally the media in the UK needs to control itself, because as can be seen above the response tends be one of apathy when the next great “scare” comes along. When a real issue does emerge from the dross that regularly gets reported as news, is it any wonder that the (once) Great British Public simply shrugs its collective shoulders and says,”It’s not my Job / Issue / Problem.”
A good start is the suspended jail sentence recently handed out to one such owner, perhaps a change in the law is needed to ensure that an attack on a Guide Dog in harness is treated as an Assault on the Owner. A few decent jail terms being handed out will go some way to discouraging the Type of individuals typically associated with these breeds. If you are reading this without any external assistance then consider this, an attack on a Guide Dog is the equivalent of an attack on YOUR eyes, why should it be rteeated any differently?
ALL owners (no matter what breed/type they own) should be legally responsible for their own dogs actions. I own two Staffies both of which are trained, cared for and cleaned up after. They have both been attacked by other dogs from westies, collies through to yorkies and golden retrievers. My male was bitten by an adult male dog when only four months old while he was on the lead, he is now 3.5years and scared of dogs that come up to him even if they just want to say hi. It’s heart breaking to see the complete fear that comes over him and makes me so mad when the owner of the aggressor laughs because their little fluffy dog is scarring the big muscular one. The breed of dog is totally irrelevant it the mentality of the owner that needs addressing. The law in the UK is breed specific but being an irresponsible dog owner is not breed specific. I totally agree a guide dog being attacked is more serious in the sense that they are the eyes of the handler. None of this will ever get better until we rid the UK of breed specific laws and go down the education route and then punish the few irresponsible owners left.
I think the Dog Owner Suitability Test would be a good idea to replace fully the DDA including section 1.