More than 200 dogs destroyed after nearly 700 attacks across Sheffield, police figures reveal

By Robert Cumber
Published 3rd Aug 2022, 00:01 BST
Updated 4th Aug 2022, 12:16 BST
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Dog attacks are on the rise in Sheffield, new figures show, with the number of pets being seized and destroyed by police also increasing.

Nearly 700 dog attacks have been reported to police in Sheffield since 2019, statistics obtained by The Star under the Freedom of Information Act reveal.

In that time, 211 dogs have been destroyed after being seized across the city by South Yorkshire Police.

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Floral tributes placed outside of house of South Yorkshire woman killed in tragi...
Floral tributes outside the house in Rotherham where 43-year-old Joanne Robinson was fatally attacked by a dog in July 2022Floral tributes outside the house in Rotherham where 43-year-old Joanne Robinson was fatally attacked by a dog in July 2022
Floral tributes outside the house in Rotherham where 43-year-old Joanne Robinson was fatally attacked by a dog in July 2022

The data shows how the number of attacks has risen consistently over the last three-and-a-half years, with 161 offences recorded in 2019, 178 reported in 2020, 209 logged last year and 115 recorded in the first six months of 2022.

The figures are for alleged offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act of an owner or person in charge allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control, injuring a person or assistance dog.

The maximum sentence is five years of custody for attacks in which a person is injured and three years for those in which an assistance dog is killed or injured. Fatal attacks can result in a jail term of up to 14 years.

In 2019, South Yorkshire Police destroyed 32 dogs across Sheffield. That figure rose to 56 in 2020, 58 during 2021 and 65 to date in 2022.

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Joanne Robinson, who was tragically killed in a dog attack in Rotherham, with her son Dillon Robinson, who described her as his 'best friend' (pic: Dillon Robinson)