Dog attacks in London have declined for two consecutive years, but figures remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to new data from the Metropolitan Police. In 2025, the Met recorded 2,530 offences involving out-of-control dogs causing injury, equivalent to nearly seven attacks every day. This is a stark increase from 1,662 attacks in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peak and Decline
Attacks reached their peak in 2023, with 3,394 cases logged by the Met. This fell to 2,760 in 2024 and dropped further to 2,530 last year. The downward trend in London contrasts with the broader picture across England and Wales, where dog attacks rose by 5% in 2025 compared to 2024.
National Context
Police forces across England and Wales recorded at least 29,400 out-of-control dog attack offences causing injury in 2025 – equivalent to 81 incidents per day, or 3.4 every hour. This represents a 5% rise compared to 2024, when 28,000 attacks were logged. Figures stood at 27,000 in 2023 and 21,700 in 2022. The data was obtained through exclusive Freedom of Information requests submitted to every police force across the country, though five forces either failed to respond or declined the request.
The statistics highlight a dramatic surge in dog attacks since the pandemic. Not every police force that responded to our Freedom of Information requests was able to supply figures for 2019, the last complete year prior to the pandemic. Those that did, however, recorded a combined total of 14,000 dog attacks causing injury that year. Those same forces went on to log 25,200 attacks in 2025, representing an 80% rise across those areas.
Regional Breakdown
The Metropolitan Police in London recorded the highest number of dog attacks last year, with 2,530 incidents reported. Greater Manchester Police followed with 1,678, Lancashire Police with 1,333, West Midlands Police with 1,325, and Devon & Cornwall with 1,265. However, the picture shifts considerably when measuring attacks against the local population. Lincolnshire Police recorded 94 out-of-control dog attacks per 10,000 residents last year – the highest rate anywhere in the country. In Northamptonshire the figure stood at 93 per 100,000 people, while Durham recorded 88 and Cumbria 86.
Hospital Admissions
The number of people attending A&E as a result of dog bites has also been steadily climbing since the pandemic. A total of 10,905 A&E admissions in England were recorded in the year ending March 2025. While this represents a marginal decline from 10,924 in 2023/24, it remains the second highest figure ever recorded. This marks a significant rise from 9,027 in 2019/20, according to official NHS data.
Expert and Government Responses
Dr Sam Gaines, Head of Companion Animals for the RSPCA, said: "It is absolutely heartbreaking that serious bite incidents are continuing to increase - underlining that current legislation simply isn't working and has been failing public safety for too long. The fact that incidents like these persist highlights that the UK Government urgently needs to adopt a different approach, towards preventing dangerous behaviours, rather than focusing on the dog's individual breed."
A Government spokesperson said: "The ban on XL Bullies is there to protect public safety and we expect all XL Bully owners to comply with the strict conditions. Ongoing dog attacks show we need to do more to protect public safety. We will continue to encourage responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog and to consider whether the current dog control rules are sufficient to ensure communities are protected."
The UK Government introduced a controversial ban on XL bullies in 2024 in its bid to reduce the number of vicious dog attacks. The data underscores the ongoing challenge of dog attacks across the country, with London seeing some improvement but still facing elevated numbers compared to pre-pandemic times.
