Dog bites led to 854 hospital admissions

The largest numbers were recorded in Leeds, where there were 166 hospital admissions because of dog bites or strikes in 12 months.

Nationally one in six of all patients taken into hospital after a dog attack was under the age of 10.

The mother of a Leeds victim now wants more parents to be aware that youngsters can be bitten by any breed of dog.

Julie Turner, whose five-year-old daughter Haley was left with a gaping facial wound after being injured by a Jack Russell, said: “I think it’s time that everybody becomes aware than any dog can be dangerous.”

Latest figures shows that between May 2011 and April 2012 there were 166 admissions in Leeds of patients injured in a dog attack. Wakefield saw 112 hospitalisations, Sheffield 111 and Bradford 103.

The figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre only relate to patients who were admitted, not those sent home after being treated in accident and emergency.

Across the country there was a five per cent rise in the number of hospitalisations because of dog attacks, with the highest rate among under 10s.

Nearly half of those needed plastic or specialist facial surgery.

One of those youngsters was Haley Turner, who was injured in April near her home in Otley.

She was rushed to Leeds General Infirmary and the next day underwent plastic surgery.

The youngster has recovered well but her family are set to find out later this year whether she will need laser treatment on her scar.

Her mother said: “I think every
-body should be made to have a license if they have a dog.”