Police data indicates there has been a 50 per cent increase in dog attacks in Flintshire in 2022 compared to 2021 and a year-on-year rise in Wrexham also. 

Police responded to a Freedom of Information request by the Leader about the number of dog attacks recorded from January to December in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 in Wrexham and Flintshire. 

In Flintshire, there were 108 incidents recorded by police throughout 2022 with one incident resulting in serious victim injuries.

This data shows a 50 per cent increase in comparison to 72 dog attacks recorded throughout 2021. 

The month with the highest number of recorded dog attacks in Flintshire in 2022 occurred in October with 17 attacks. 

In Wrexham, there were 87 dog attacks recorded throughout 2022 with the highest number recorded in August which saw 11 dog attacks. 

There has been an increase of 41 per cent in dog attacks recorded in Wrexham in 2022 in comparison to 2019. 

In all but three of the occurrences in 2022 across Wrexham and Flintshire it involved a human being bitten by a dog, however police did note that some injuries were due to a person trying to separate their dog from another dog. 

This graph shows the number of dog attacks recorded in Wrexham and Flintshire per year from 2019 to 2022. 

Inspector Luke Hughes, of the Wrexham City team, recently raised concerns over an "increase in dog-related incidents" in the area.

It comes after the Leader reported on recent dog attacks in Rhosddu and Ty Mawr Country Park. 

A child was injured after being bitten by a dog at Ty Mawr Country Park in Wrexham on January 2 and in a separate incident reported on Sunday, January 8, a man was reportedly bitten by an unattended dog near Bistre Church, Mold Road, Buckley.

Inspector Hughes said: "I’m concerned by the increase in dog related incidents. One particular breed frequently being named.

"I know this is a dangerous area to discuss on social media, dogs are a highly emotive topic, but I fear locally we have a lot of breeding going on and a lot of money is changing hands.

"Maybe something that needs a little extra scrutiny, especially when public safety is concerned."

Read more: 

RSPCA, the largest animal welfare charity in the UK, also shared Inspector Hughes concerns over the rise in dog attacks. 

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “It is a concern that these numbers have increased - and although we don’t know the circumstances for these incidents - we would remind owners that they have a responsibility to ensure their dogs are under proper control at all times.

The charity advises that those looking to get a dog ensure that they have been bred responsibly so they are less at risk from health and behavioural problems, receive proper training and socialisation from an early age and that they are able to lead a happy life.

The charity reiterated the complexity of aggression in dogs and suggested that a variety of reasons could be behind a dog's bite such as an underlying medical condition or injury, or fear of certain situations or circumstances.

However, the charity emphasised that: "Where incidents are severe we strongly recommend a thorough investigation to help increase the understanding around what caused the incident."

A spokesperson for the RSPCA continued: "We have long been calling for a complete reform of dog control laws and strongly believe we need a different approach to keeping the public safe and the welfare of dogs protected. Any dog has the potential to bite and so we want to see effective breed neutral legislation and enforcement which focuses on early intervention so that incidents can be prevented from occurring or escalating, but they must be evidence based and proportionate.”

The charity also provided advice to dog owners of what to do during an attack.

RSPCA dog welfare expert Dr Samantha Gaines said: “If your dog becomes involved in an altercation then, although it may be your instinct to intervene, we generally advise that intervention is a last resort. It can be difficult to give specific advice as to what to do in these situations as every incident will be different but it is important to remain calm.

“If you suspect an interaction is becoming fraught then you can try to distract the approaching dog by throwing a toy or some treats. We don’t advise picking up your dog but if your dog is attacked then we’d suggest taking them to be checked over by a vet as soon as possible.”