canine attack
© Angela Antunes / CC by 2.0
A child is attacked by a dog in Surrey and Sussex every day.

Shocking new statistics show there were 511 incidents in the patch from April 2015 to March 2016.

That is up more than 300 from the year before.


The data comes from the NHS which says a third of children in the UK will encounter a dog every day.

Below show the figures in Surrey and Sussex since 2011.

Area 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Surrey and Sussex Area Team 192 126 160 187 511

Animal welfare charity, The Dogs Trust has since launched a programme that teaches children how to be safe around animals.

'Be Dog Smart' looks at things such as not disturbing dogs when they're eating; letting them sniff your hand before stroking it gently; and always checking with the owner before touching a dog.