Dog attacks: Is there such thing as a dangerous dog breed? trends now
A leading epidemiologist has warned Britain is in the midst of a public health crisis as the number of deadly dog attacks continues to rise.
Dr John Tulloch, an veterinary public health expert at the University of Liverpool, authored a 2021 research paper that revealed a startling rise in the number of dog bite incidents over the past 20 years.
He told MailOnline that although wider research into the cause of this explosion in these attacks was limited, there had been an emergence of 'worrying' trends that he has witnessed in more recent dog ownership.
Possible explanations include broader changes in society, with more dogs now being bought from unregulated or overseas breeders, or the way in which people interact with their pets - fuelled by TikTok trends or videos hoping to garner likes online.
Schoolboy Jack Lis, 10, was mauled to death by an XXL Bully-breed in November 2021
Little Rae Birch was just 17-months-old when she was killed after suffering serious injuries from a bite caused by an American Bully XL breed
Ann Dunn, 65, was another victim of a brutal dog attack, described by police as an American Bulldog-style breed
Pictured: Muscles bulging, this is the dog nicknamed 'Beast' that took seven rounds to kill after mauling schoolboy Jack Lis to death
Dr Tulloch told MailOnline: 'In the last 20 years or so there's been a definite rise in cases of severe dog attacks, it has been creeping up and up and up and we should be calling it what it is, a growing public health problem.
'In most cases, it's a dog that is known to the victim as these events are occurring behind closed doors.
'Children still account for around 25 per cent of hospital admission due to dog bites, but we need to understand why adults are being attacked more now, it's a striking problem.
'And more deprived areas of the country have higher dog bite hospitalisation rates compared tot he least deprived communities, which had the lowest.'
James McNally, dubbed Britain's 'dog bite solicitor' and a personal injury claim expert with Slee Blackwell Solicitors, has said he's seen a rise in the number of dog bite claims in recent years.
He told MailOnline: 'Some of the worst injuries we're seeing are by those beloved household pets, Collies, Jack Russells, Huskies. Any dog can cause injury at any time.
'We've had a lady who lost the tip of her nose, delivery drivers missing fingers. There are cases we're dealing with where a child has been scalped by the dog and suffered serious facial injuries - they're all horrible.
'In a lot of the cases we're seeing, the way I see it is that it's the family dogs.
'I think the pandemic puppy boom has probably contributed to the rising number of dog bites, experts have raised huge concerns about puppy farms and I think a lot of us are just not aware of this entire world of dog breeding.
'Ultimately, it's a bit of a Wild West out there. We had the wrong dogs, being bred by the wrong people, going to the wrong homes.
'It's a recipe for disaster and was fuelling the fire.'
It comes as horrified neighbours last night paid tribute to a four-year-old girl who was mauled to death by a dog at her home in Milton Keynes.
Little Alice Stones was savaged by the animal in her back garden in Broadlands, Netherfield, last night.
Armed police cornered the dog and destroyed it. Thames Valley Police has said no arrests have been made as they investigate the attack in Buckinghamshire.
Daniel Twigg, three, was a 'a happy, kind and caring little boy who was loved by all who knew him' before being killed in a dog attack last year
Jack Lis was attacked by the XL bully dog while playing with a friend at a house after school in Pentwyn
American Bully-type dog Cookie-Doe (pictured) was put down by a veterinarian at the scene following after he bit Keven Jones, 62, to death
Dog behaviourist and clinical animal behaviour student Kyra Algazi-Floden insists the boom in puppy ownership could be contributing to the number of dog attacks in the UK.
'Like kids, not everyone is equipped to be a parent, and not everyone is equipped to be a dog-owner', she told MailOnline.
'A dog is an animal and it can always bite as a last resort. It's not just a toy, it needs to be looked after and I don't think enough people realise that.
'The first 4-8 months of raising a puppy are very important. Puppies need the right amount of exercise, food, sleep, socialisation and care. Those that have not been bred and raised under the right circumstances
