The number of people being attacked by dogs in Derry is on the increase, new figures show.
The figures are contained in a report to be presented tomorrow to Derry City Council’s Environmental Services Committee.
The figures show the number of “attacks on person” increased from 12 in June last year to 20 in June this year.
Describing the increase as “significant” the principal environmental officer, the report’s author, will tell councillors it may be in part due to the promotion of the council’s Dog Control Service.
The incidents ranged from “the apprehension of an attack” to an “aggravated attack” where a person sustained a physical injury when in a public area.
A number of cases are currently being investigated are being considered for prosecution.
Councillors will also be told attacks on domestic pets went up from one to five during the same period while attacks on livestock dropped from two to one.
Meanwhile, the number of stray dogs remains a “huge problem” throughout the council area, with hundreds being collected from the streets each year.
Tags:
