Police dog attacks on innocents increasingly common
Posted: July 26, 2014
Posted in: Animal Attacks Public Place Accidents Wrongful & Accidental Death
New figures have revealed that in the last three years alone, around 150 people have been bitten by a police dog. This issue was raised after 73-year-old Irene Collins was bitten by a police dog in her home last week. She died in hospital shortly after the incident. The dog that bit Mrs Collins in her Middlesbrough home has been removed from duty, but a decision regarding its future in the service is yet to be decided. It was heard that the dog’s handler, who had been on leave at the time of the accident, was “absolutely distraught” on hearing the news.
The chairman of the Cleveland Police Federation described the incident as an “absolute tragedy” and stressed that the Federation’s thoughts were with the Collins family. He said that the dogs, and their handlers, are given intense and frequent training, and are not usually known to behave aggressively. He stated that the case is currently being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and until findings are made they will be unable to comment.
Not often put down due to cost
One specialist animal injury lawyer, however, said that police dogs are increasingly biting innocent people. Even in situations where the dog is on the opposite end of a successful compensation claim, they are not often put down due to how expensive they are to train.
A recent BBC report stated that children as young ten have been bitten by police dogs. It also claimed that there were 150 cases of innocent people being attacked by police dogs in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
If you have suffered an animal or dog-related injury, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us.
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