Health warning on dog attacks

By STUART DYE

Males and children under nine are most at risk from serious dog attacks, according to the first major study into dog bites in more than a decade.

The study, published in the latest New Zealand Medical Journal, covers a 12-year period from 1989 to 2001.

It shows that the number of people attacked by dogs has steadily risen and says dog bites represent a "significant public health problem".

Ongoing monitoring is necessary to determine whether current dog control policies are proving effective, the report concludes.

The last major report, from 1979 to 1988, showed a constant rise in the number of dog attacks. Aside from a brief dip, the latest research points to a continuing increase.

Written by the injury prevention research unit at Otago University, it shows that during the 12 years studied more than 3000 people needed surgical treatment after being bitten by a dog, taking up almost 9500 days in hospital.

In the most serious cases, one person died after being mauled, while another spent two months in hospital.

The most common injuries were to the face, arm and leg and the vast majority of attacks took place within the home.

More than 60 per cent of victims were male, and 30 per cent of them were under the age of nine.

"High rates among children can probably be explained by their lack of physical strength or motor skills to ward off an attacking dog," says the report. "Immaturity and lack of judgment may also sometimes lead children to act in ways that animals perceive as aggressive."

The drop off in attacks in 1996, and for the following three years, was attributed to the introduction of strict measures under the Dog Control Act.

But in 2000, the rate jumped back up to pre-1996 levels.

Following an attack on Carolina Anderson in February last year, which left the 7-year-old with appalling facial injuries, there was again a public outcry for stricter controls.

The Government introduced an amendment to the 1996 act including spot fines for dogs off the leash in public, banning the importing of some breeds classified as menacing and a requirement that all dogs be microchipped from July 2006

The report, by PhD student Louise Marsh, Professor John Langley, director of the injury prevention unit at Otago, and Robin Gauld, senior lecturer in health policy, concludes by questioning whether dog control procedures are reducing injury in the long term.

Dr Cathy Casey, president of the Dog Owners Group in Auckland, said while the report might show an increase in dog bites, the statistics reflected too much emphasis on punishment and a lack of education.