© Angela Antunes / CC by 2.0
The sharp rise in dog attacks is leaving children with horrific facial injuries and comes despite crackdowns on dangerous breeds. New research reveals that since 2003 the rate of dog attacks has increased by 57 per cent.
The Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania found dog attacks hospitalised 31,218 people in 12 years with children injured at twice the rate of adults.
"Legislation has been introduced to restrict ownership of dangerous breeds in Australia yet rates of dog bites have increased," Associate Professor Leigh Blizzard said.
Prof Blizzard warned underreporting masked the true extent of the problem.
"People are trying to avoid being investigated because their beloved pooch has bitten the baby," he said. NSW had the lowest rates of dog attacks.
Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons vice-president Dr Gazi Hussain said hospitals are increasingly treating serious dog bites, particularly to children's lips, ears and noses.
"The burden on the public hospital system is significant. Some patients require multiple operations and they will be in hospital for weeks."
It comes as the father of a three-year-old girl attacked by two rottweilers said she has been incredibly "brave" since the horrific attack.
Avah Gibbs received facial injuries when she was attacked as she wandered past the dogs' toys in a relative's Blue Mountains yard on July 6.
"Avah is fine, she is recovering well, she is being very brave," Malcolm Gibbs said.
The dogs were euthanised
Many young people think it's MACHO town a dog that's aggressive, they seem to think that aggressiveness reflects their own view of the society they are living within, thus making them REAL MACHO and tough just walking down a street with an aggressive dog on their lead, (if your lucky, that is, because most of them do away with leads anyway, clearly displaying their MACHONESS.)
Then we also have the ALLEGED dog lovers who buy a pup with questionable breeding back grounds, mostly bred in someone's back yard where massive inbreeding is usually the result.
That inbreeding causes many issues and results in the unpredictability of a dog bred under such conditions. These dogs are the usual culprits for attacking unprovoked.
We also have the issue then, of people purchasing such a dog from such a source, displaying their ignorance of dog breeding and behavior, flatly refusing to accept that once a dog has bitten a human, it will always, at some time or another, do the same again, refuse to put the dog down, (as they should, it's easier for such people to avoid dealing with the issue you see) which should be done forthwith.
IMHO, people should apply for a LICENSE to be allowed to own a dog, demonstrate their ability to handle and deal with the dog in an appropriate manner.
And without a doubt, all breeders must be qualified and licensed. Back yard breeding needs to become an offence.