Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update
Data on dog attacks on Guide Dogs’ stock were reviewed to investigate the characteristics of the attacks. An average of 11.2 attacks occurred each month. Nearly all of the attacks occurred in public areas, 68.4 per cent of victim dogs were qualified guide dogs and 55.5 per cent of victim dogs were w...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2016
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38873/ |
| _version_ | 1848795709693755392 |
|---|---|
| author | Moxon, Rachel Whiteside, H. England, Gary C.W. |
| author_facet | Moxon, Rachel Whiteside, H. England, Gary C.W. |
| author_sort | Moxon, Rachel |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Data on dog attacks on Guide Dogs’ stock were reviewed to investigate the characteristics of the attacks. An average of 11.2 attacks occurred each month. Nearly all of the attacks occurred in public areas, 68.4 per cent of victim dogs were qualified guide dogs and 55.5 per cent of victim dogs were working in harness when they were attacked. Guide Dogs’ stock were injured in 43.2 per cent of attacks and veterinary costs for attacks were estimated at £34,514.30. Over 40 per cent of qualified guide dogs’ working ability was affected and >20 per cent of qualified guide dogs required some time off from working after a dog attack. Twenty dogs were permanently withdrawn from the Guide Dogs’ programme as a result of dog attacks, 13 of which were qualified and working with guide dog owners at the time of the withdrawal; this resulted in a financial cost of >£600,000 to the charity. More importantly perhaps, temporary and permanent withdrawals have a significant impact upon the mobility and independence of guide dog owners and in many cases significantly impacted their emotional well-being. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:36:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-38873 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:36:24Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-388732020-05-04T17:47:12Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38873/ Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update Moxon, Rachel Whiteside, H. England, Gary C.W. Data on dog attacks on Guide Dogs’ stock were reviewed to investigate the characteristics of the attacks. An average of 11.2 attacks occurred each month. Nearly all of the attacks occurred in public areas, 68.4 per cent of victim dogs were qualified guide dogs and 55.5 per cent of victim dogs were working in harness when they were attacked. Guide Dogs’ stock were injured in 43.2 per cent of attacks and veterinary costs for attacks were estimated at £34,514.30. Over 40 per cent of qualified guide dogs’ working ability was affected and >20 per cent of qualified guide dogs required some time off from working after a dog attack. Twenty dogs were permanently withdrawn from the Guide Dogs’ programme as a result of dog attacks, 13 of which were qualified and working with guide dog owners at the time of the withdrawal; this resulted in a financial cost of >£600,000 to the charity. More importantly perhaps, temporary and permanent withdrawals have a significant impact upon the mobility and independence of guide dog owners and in many cases significantly impacted their emotional well-being. BMJ Publishing Group 2016-04-09 Article PeerReviewed Moxon, Rachel, Whiteside, H. and England, Gary C.W. (2016) Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update. Veterinary Record, 178 (15). 367/1-367/4. ISSN 2042-7670 Guide dogs Intraspecific aggression Dog attack Canine aggression http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/178/15/367 doi:10.1136/vr.103433 doi:10.1136/vr.103433 |
| spellingShingle | Guide dogs Intraspecific aggression Dog attack Canine aggression Moxon, Rachel Whiteside, H. England, Gary C.W. Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update |
| title | Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update |
| title_full | Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update |
| title_fullStr | Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update |
| title_full_unstemmed | Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update |
| title_short | Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update |
| title_sort | incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the uk: an update |
| topic | Guide dogs Intraspecific aggression Dog attack Canine aggression |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38873/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38873/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38873/ |