Publisher Health

Surgeons at a plastic surgery unit in West Sussex say they are treating double the number of dog-attack victims since before the pandemic.

The number of admissions at Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead rose from 116 in 2019 to 237 in 2022.

Siva Kumar, a consultant surgeon, said he had seen an increase in the number of bites as dog ownership rose during the pandemic.

The government says it is working with police to prevent attacks.

This article contains pictures and descriptions of dogs bites that some readers may find upsetting.

Mr Kumar, whose trauma clinics treat patients from Kent, Surrey and Sussex, told BBC South East the specialist centre would often see the most severe cases.

He said: “We would get at least one, if not two patients that are dog bites every day. We have seen a doubling in the number of patients that have come through and in the last year we’ve seen double the number of children that have had dog bites.

“Children are probably the ones that affect you the most. Ones with multiple dog bites with scarring that they will carry through the rest of their lives.”

National data from NHS Digital also shows there has been a steady increase in the number of hospital admissions for dog bites over the last 10 years. There were 9,277 in 2022-23, up 47% from 6,317 in 2012-13.

There has been a much smaller increase in admissions for under-18s for dog bites, up by 8% to 1,740 in the same time period.

Although these figures show a rise in admissions for dog bites, one bite can result in multiple admissions and it may not include all dog bites that resulted in hospital admission.

Darren Davies, 53, suffered serious hand injuries in December after intervening when a dog he was walking was attacked by another, near to his home in Staplehurst.

“I didn’t even see it,” he said. “I had the dog by the back of the neck with two hands, the dog managed to spin round so quickly, and bite me, that I didn’t even see him do it, it was just so fast, and he bit me.

“I knew something was really bad. It goes right across the top of my hand.”

He was treated at the Queen Victoria Hospital for his injuries.

“It’s the worst injury I think I have ever had in my life,” he added.

Kerry Stevens from Eastbourne needed several operations at the Queen Victoria Hospital.

She said she was still scarred psychologically after she was attacked by a cross between a pit bull and an American bulldog in 2014.

“I was delivering a package to a property when the dog came running out, knocked me to the floor and locked its jaw on me,” she said.

“There were bits of my flesh on the floor, it was terrifying, I feared I could have died.”

Kerry said that while the scars may heal, she still remembered the attack “every so often”.

“There should be more muzzling brought into place for dogs that could be like that,” she added.

Last year a BBC investigation found the number of dog attacks recorded by police in England and Wales had risen by more than a third in the previous five years.

The government says there have been 23 deaths caused by dog attacks since the start of 2021, with the bully XL breed “being disproportionately involved in this rise”.

The new rules for owning bully XL dogs are being introduced in England and Wales.

They must now be kept on a lead and muzzled in public and from 1 February it will be illegal to own one without an exemption certificate.

Charities are calling for a complete overhaul of the Dangerous Dogs Act, including tougher penalties for owners who fail to control their dogs.

Dog behaviourist and trainer Pippa Apps from Kent suggested some dogs bought during the pandemic had not been properly socialised and that could be a factor in the number of dog bites.

She said: “The critical period of socialisation is up to four months of age and without socialising with dogs, and experiencing other dogs in a really positive way in that time, they are much less able to cope as well in a social setting as they get older.”

A government spokesperson said: “We are focused on ensuring that the full range of existing powers to tackle dog control issues are effectively applied across all breeds of dog.

“We have also taken quick and decisive action to protect the public from devastating dog attacks by adding the bully XL type to the list of dogs prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act to reduce the risks to the public posed by this type.”

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.