00:00 During the summer holidays, the number of dog bites increases.
00:05 Police data shows children under 16 are most likely to be the victim of dog bites.
00:10 And this risk increased significantly in the summer when more children are at home with
00:15 their pets or around other people's dogs and are also spending more time in public spaces.
00:21 Although parks and beaches have been identified as hot spots for incidents, dog bites can
00:25 happen anywhere and most bites occur in the home.
00:30 Any offences that happen in private can be prosecuted in the same way as bites in public.
00:36 We've been on the streets of Liverpool to ask you what you think of the policing of
00:39 dog breeds and dog safety.
00:42 "Definitely some breeds should be banned.
00:46 I mean I seen a young lad the other day and he was about 13 and he had another kid with
00:50 him at about 10 and he was walking along, not a muscle on the dog or nothing.
00:55 I don't mind a big dog if they're muscled but not when a child nearly loses its face."
01:00 "I think maybe the dog licences should be returned and then people would be more responsible
01:05 if they have to pay them, wouldn't they?
01:09 So I think that might be a good idea.
01:11 But we'll see.
01:13 Because it is dangerous isn't it, especially if you've got little ones with you."
01:18 "I think it's awful really and they say, 'Oh it's alright, they won't touch you, they won't
01:25 bite, they won't do this.'
01:26 And I think, no, not when they've got your leg in their mouth, they won't."
01:30 "I've got a little bit of a Yorkshire Terrier myself.
01:33 You know, you have to be careful because we've got a great grandson.
01:36 But you know, I make sure that he can't go near them.
01:40 But he doesn't bite anyway, but any dog can turn."
01:44 "I just don't think you should ever have dogs around children or babies, ever.
01:50 Full stop.
01:51 That's my opinion, not everyone's."
01:54 Earlier in the summer, Merseyside Police launched their 'Taking the Lead' campaign to help reduce
01:58 incidents of dog bites in the region.
02:01 The aim was to offer important safety tips to all dog owners about looking after their
02:06 pet, especially around children, which could prevent serious injuries.
02:10 "Our research at the University of Liverpool has been looking at hospital records to see
02:15 what's been going on with dog bites.
02:18 And from that we can see that the greatest number of hospital admissions is in the Liverpool
02:22 city region and three of those areas are actually in the top ten local authorities in the country
02:30 for dog bites."
02:31 Another key focus of the 'Taking the Lead' campaign was advising people to think before
02:35 they buy a dog and research the breed characteristics to make sure they can provide that breed of
02:41 dog with the right home setting.
02:43 Statistics provided by the School of Veterinary Science at the University of Liverpool shows
02:48 that in Merseyside there tends to be more dog bites in areas with socioeconomic challenges.
02:53 Between 1998 and 2018, around 5% of all national hospital admissions in relation to dog bites
03:02 occurred in Merseyside.
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