The number of dangerous dog attacks in Greater Manchester has doubled in the last five years, according to data from Greater Manchester Police.
In 2020 there were 818 reports of out-of-control dog offences in Greater Manchester. Yet in 2024 there were 1639 reports – an increase of just over 100%.
The Home Office describes out-of-control dog offences as “an owner or person in charge allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control in any place in England and Wales [whether in a public place or not] injuring any person or assistance dog”.
Within Greater Manchester the borough with the largest number of offences in 2024 was the City of Manchester, with 316 in 2024 alone.
Wigan had the highest number of other Greater Manchester boroughs in 2024, recording 228 cases of out-of-control dogs.
Bury saw the smallest number of cases, with 99 incidents, whilst Trafford and Stockport had the second and third-lowest counts respectively.
Naziath M Thalhath, 23, was attacked by a pit bull in 2024 whilst out with friends in Chimney Pot Park, Salford. She believes that dog owners should take greater responsibility and that the laws around letting dogs off leashes should be stronger.
She said: “I was a bit scared of dogs before but now I’m very scared, I’ll move away from them as I don’t know when it’ll happen again.
“It’s definitely given me trauma.”
When the police arrived on the scene they told Ms Thalhath that finding and punishing the dog owner would be a difficult task.
“The police asked me questions but said there was no way they could find the dog.
“They explained that giving a criminal offence against the owner would be a very long procedure. I would have to appoint a solicitor.
“I didn’t want it to go beyond that really.
“I ended up going to Salford Royal Hospital and I had to wait eight hours for an injection.
“The owner didn’t even apologise, he should be more careful with it – imagine if it was a small kid, it would be so unfair.”
Greater Manchester Police has been approached for comment.
Salford has seen a 66% increase in dog attacks between 2020 and 2024. However, this is still the fourth lowest of Greater Manchester boroughs. The boroughs with the highest and lowest number of incidents, City of Manchester and Bury, also have the highest and lowest percentage change over the last five years.
Whilst Bury has seen an increase of 55%, incidents in the City of Manchester have risen by a staggering 180%.
Professor Carri Westgarth, who leads the Merseyside Dog Safety Partnership, argued that more prevention efforts are required.
She said: “The laws themselves are not so much the problem but the lack of will and resources to enforce them.
“It is extremely important to breed from dogs that have good temperaments.
“Stricter regulations on dog breeding could help improve the quality of the dogs being provided to the pet market.”
James Carroll, a clinical animal behaviourist in Manchester, agrees: “Dogs shouldn’t be bred from unless they pass a temperament test, are licensed, and inspected, and all of this needs some form of monitoring regularly.”
These problems mean Greater Manchester saw an average of 4.5 out-of-control dog offences per day in 2024, a significant increase from 2.2 per day in 2020.
Whilst 19% of all 2024 incidents occurred in the City of Manchester this is likely to be due to the population size of the city borough. In fact, when considering attacks per 1000 people in 2024, City of Manchester has just the sixth highest number of incidents. Rochdale, with 0.71 attacks per 1000 people, tops the list, whilst Stockport’s residents, with 0.42 attacks per 1000 people, are the least likely to experience an out-of-control dog.
Mr Carroll also believes working from home is a key factor that has led to the increase.
He said: “More people work from home, also increasing the potential for bites. More people who have never had a dog before got dogs, and continue to get them with little knowledge or understanding really about dogs.
“Lots get dogs, have them for a few years, then children arrive into the family and now the dog hasn’t been appropriately socialised with children, creating the potential for more bites than if the dog had been socialised with children.”
Emma Phillips, an expert in canine and aggressive behaviour who is covers the Greater Manchester area, highlights the Covid-19 pandemic as a further reason for the rise.
She said: “The increase in incidents is concerning, but not surprising.
“Several factors likely contribute to this rise including an increase in dog ownership during the pandemic, many of whom missed out on early socialisation and training.
“They also had a lack of access to qualified behavioural support and puppy classes in those important early weeks and months.”
The graph below shows data in the months leading up to the first lockdown in March 2020, as well as the figures for the same months in the following years, showing the change in number of dog attacks pre, during and post-lockdown.
This data shows that the number of dog attacks has risen every year, including throughout lockdown, even with Covid restrictions ensuring less social and outside interactions.
This problematic rise comes a year after it became illegal to own an XL bully in the UK without an exemption certificate. Professor Westgarth believes that the increased media attention on dogs and certain breeds is leading to the police and public taking a greater interest in dog matters, resulting in more reports.
Ms Phillips also feels that there is too much emphasis on individual dog breeds.
“The current UK laws focus too heavily on breed rather than behaviour.
“Any dog can be dangerous in the wrong hands.
“Banning certain breeds or imposing blanket restrictions has not been shown to reduce attacks.
“A shift towards laws that promote responsible ownership and target irresponsible breeding and handling practices would likely be far more effective in reducing incidents.”
For Manchester residents like Naziath, the risk of being attacked by a dog is increasing at a dangerous rate, and showing no signs of faltering.
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