Worrying rise in number of dog attacks across Wigan revealed - as dozens are treated in hospital

There have been several attacks in recent months, with dad-of-five Jonathan Hogg, 37, suffering fatal injuries when he was mauled by a dog at a property on Westleigh Lane, Leigh in May.

Two people received “serious and potentially life-changing injuries” after being attacked by a dog on Thomas Street, in Hindley Green, just days earlier, while former Wigan Warriors star Andy Gregory was given a suspended jail term after his pet collie mauled and injured a dog walker in Ashton.

The Wigan Post made a request to Greater Manchester Police using the Freedom of Information Act to find out how many incidents there had been.

It revealed the force received 169 reports of dogs being out of control and injuring either a person or an assistance dog in its Wigan division during 2022.

This was up 62.5 per cent from 104 incidents in 2019 and up 33.1 per cent from 127 in 2021. Already, there have been 97 incidents in the first half of 2023.

It also showed 13 dogs were seized in the borough in 2022 and seven were destroyed.

This compares to four dogs seized and four destroyed in 2019, with six so far being seized in 2023 and two destroyed.

But very few suspects have been charged with offences – just one person was prosecuted in 2022 and none in 2019. The most number of charges in recent years came in 2021, with seven people charged.

Separate data from the NHS shows there were about 75 episodes of patients being treated in hospital for dog bites in the former NHS Wigan Borough CCG area in the year to March 2023 – in line with the year before.

These figures were rounded and were not a count of people, as one person could be seen more than once within the year.

Nationally, there has been a rising number of episodes of people in hospital because of a dog bite, with a provisional 9,300 recorded in 2022-23.

It was an increase from 8,800 the year before and the highest number since at least 2011.

Separate data shows 1,700 children were admitted to hospital in the last year because of a dog bite incident.

Owen Sharp, chief executive at charity Dogs Trust, said most dogs live harmoniously within families, but most bites happen within the home.

"Basic training of dogs is not enough; close supervision of children and dogs while interacting is the most effective way of preventing incidents," he said.

"Unfortunately, when the worst does happen, not only are children injured, but it can also have a devastating impact on the family pet, with some dogs handed over to organisations like ours for rehoming, or in some cases, euthanised."

Dr Samantha Gaines, head of companion animals at the RSPCA, said: "We don’t ever expect our own dogs to bite, but all dogs can – it doesn’t matter what size or breed they are.

"Parents and guardians naturally love the idea of their child having a close bond with the family dog, and in many cases, they do, but having a close bond doesn’t mean that the dog will never bite."