Dog and XL bully dog attack since 2000 by area

FOI REF: FOI-2023-1462

You asked

I would like to request statistics pertaining to dog attacks from start of 2000s to present. I'm also looking for statistics on XL bully attacks from same time frame and also where in the country they happened.

We said

Thank you for your request. 

Unfortunately, we do not hold information on the number of dog attacks on people. You may wish to contact individual police forces in England and Wales for further information. 

We also do not hold any information on the number of people injured by a dog attack. Information on people hospitalised following a dog attack in England is available for the years 2007/2008 to 2022/2003 from NHS England and information for Wales may be available from NHS Wales or Public Health Wales. 

However, we are responsible for the production of mortality statistics for deaths registered in England and Wales.  

Causes of death are certified in most cases by a doctor, who records the sequence of medical conditions and relevant events leading to, or contributing to, the death, based on the deceased's healthcare records and other available information, such as laboratory tests or post-mortem investigation. Some deaths are certified by a coroner who determines the causes of death following an inquest, based on all the available evidence. It is unusual for wider contextual factors such as dog breed to be recorded on the death certificate.

We are able to supply you with the figures for deaths where the underlying cause of death was recorded as being bitten or struck by a dog for the years 2000 - 2023.  Please see associated download 'Deaths caused by dog bites or dog strikes 2000 to 2023.pdf'.