FOI-2023-1531
You asked
Can I please request the following data:
- Confirmed dog breeds involved in all fatalities during the date range 1988 - 2023
- Unconfirmed dog breeds involved in fatalities during the date range 1988 - 2023
We said
Thank you for your request.
We are responsible for the production of mortality statistics for deaths registered in England and Wales.
Causes of death are certified in most cases by a doctor, who records the sequence of medical conditions and relevant events leading to, or contributing to, the death, based on the deceased's healthcare records and other available information, such as laboratory tests or post-mortem investigation. Some deaths are certified by a coroner who determines the causes of death following an inquest, based on all the available evidence. It is unusual for wider contextual factors such as dog breed to be recorded on the death certificate.
We are able to supply you with the figures for deaths where the underlying cause of death was recorded as being bitten or struck by a dog for deaths registered between 1988 – 2023. This can be found in the associated download named 'FOI_1531_Number of deaths where the underlying cause of death was bitten or struck by a dog, deaths registered between 1988 and 2023, England and Wales'. The following notes should be read alongside the dataset.
Notes:
- Deaths where bitten or struck by a dog was recorded as the underlying cause are coded to International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision (ICD-10) code W54 for deaths registered between 2001 and 2022 and International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision (ICD-9) code E9060 for deaths registered between 1988 and 2000.
- Figures are for deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in each calendar year. Due to the length of time it takes to complete a coroner's inquest, it can take months or even years for deaths from external causes and accidents to be registered. For more information see our Impact of registrations delays release. Impact of registration delays on mortality statistics in England and Wales publication.
- Figures for 2023 are provisional.
- Figures are for deaths registered up to 30 September 2023