FOI REF: FOI-2023-1452
You asked
I would like to request the records of all fatalities caused by dogs between the years of 1989 and 2023. Included in this I would like the year and the breed of the dog/dogs which caused the fatality.
We said
Thank you for your request.
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 1989 - 2023 in the associated download 'Deaths underlying cause bitten or struck by a dog 1981 to 2022.xls'.
Please note, this does not include breed of dog, as this information is not held.