Dog attacks are on the rise in Sussex.
Last year a third more people were admitted to hospital after being bitten or struck by a dog than the year before.
Brighton and Hove saw a rise from 21 to 23 and attacks in East Sussex rose from 23 to 29.
But the biggest rise in the number of hospital visits was in West Sussex, which went from 48 in 2010/11 to 72 in 2011/12 – an increase of 50%.
Last July, two escaped Staffordshire bull terrier crossbreeds mauled ten people in a “terrifying orgy of violence” in St Leonards.
In a separate incident a walker was savaged by two dogs on Brighton beach in the early hours of the morning in May.
A Sussex Police spokesman said the NHS figures, collated by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, do not correlate with their database which only relates to dangerous dogs in public places.
But the force also saw an increase in the number of dangerous dogs seized, which shot up from 16 in 2011 to 54 in 2012.
Awareness event
The spokesman said: “At an event in St Leonards shortly before Christmas, Sussex Police in connection with Hastings Borough Council ran a dog awareness day, showing owners how to keep their dogs safe and also raising awareness of laws regarding dogs.
“Animal Warden Services offered free microchipping to 14 dog owners and also on offer were free dog leads and collars.”
An RSPCA spokeswoman said: “We want to see measures introduced that proactively attempt to prevent dog bites from happening in the first place.
Legal reform
“These include legislative change in the form of dog control notices which would allow law enforcers the ability and flexibility to step in with appropriate action and advice at an early stage.
“We also believe that prevention through the introduction of education programmes for all those who own and interact with dogs plays a key role.
“Understanding why dogs bite and how to avoid situations where bites might more likely occur is crucial to better protecting public safety and dog welfare.
“The RSPCA has argued for many years that England’s current dog control legislation is flawed and needs urgent reform.”
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