Experts warn heatwave fuels dog attacks with 'animals frustrated by hot weather'
Soaring temperatures may be to blame for a spate of dog attacks over the past months - which could prove to be the deadliest so far.
A rise in reports of maulings by dangerous dogs has coincided with the spell of unseasonably hot weather with one woman dying after being mauled by Rottweilers and several children left with ghastly wounds which will scar them for life. The summer head could “lower the thresholds for violence” in the dogs, according to one vet.
Emma Chandley, a practising vet with Perfect Pet Insurance, said that summer highs "lower the thresholds for violence" in humans and animals. "Dogs are more likely to attack and bite in the warmer summer months. As with humans, tensions tend to rise as the temperature does.”
"From my experience, dogs are more likely to bite on hotter days and days when the air pollution is higher. It has been suggested in humans that increased temperatures result in higher levels of irritability and discomfort, which lowers the threshold for violence. It would seem that this also applies to our canine companions.
"Environmental factors, including temperature, ozone, UV levels and precipitation. Behaviour may be influenced by a generalised stress response to airborne pollutants triggered by lung inflammatory messengers." But fortunately you can help dogs cool off in the summer heat to calm them down, Dr Chandley told the Express.
Girl, 4, mauled to death in dog attack pictured as neighbours hear mum's screams
She shared tips for reducing the likelihood of dog attacks during the summer, including: Make sure your dog always has access to fresh, cool drinking water. (Ice cubes can be added to reduce the temperature further). Freeze dog toys and allow them to play with them. Allow access to cool, shady places. Keep long or thick coats trimmed shorter in warmer months to reduce heat retention. Do not interact with them unnecessarily on very hot days. Only walk them early or late evening and avoid busy places. Keep them away from new people and children. Keep them away from other dogs, especially ones they have not encountered before.
Yesterday MirrorOnline reported on the story of mum Katie Deere who was left with potentially life-altering injuries after shielding her daughter from a savage XL Bully dog which left her needing more than 50 stitches. The 31-year-old mum was left covered in blood and needing to be taken to hospital for surgery. The teaching assistant recalls spotting the 'aggressive looking loose dog' eyeing her in Askern, South Yorkshire, on August 17. Alarmed, she picked up her own dog and continued walking.
However, before she could react, the dog charged across the road and lunged at her, latching onto her arm. Katie managed to push the pram carrying her young daughter towards a bystander while her own dog fled, leaving her to bear the brunt of the savage attack which left with a partially amputated finger, another broken at a 90 degree angle, gashes out of her right arm (top and bottom) and left arm needing metal pins.
On Monday a schoolboy, woman and a man were rushed to hospital after suffering 'serious' injuries when a 'Pitbull type' dog attacked them in a back garden in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. On Tuesday night a young boy was rushed to hospital after he was mauled by a Huntaway Crossbreed in a vicious attack in Birkenhead. On Saturday a three-year-old girl was hospitalised with serious facial injuries after she was mauled by a dog while playing outside a pub in Kirkby, northeast of Liverpool.
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