FOI reference: FOI-2026-3528
You asked
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding incidents involving dogs in or around water.
Specifically, I would like to request data on reported incidents over the past 5 to 10 years (preferably the most recent 10-year period available), where a dog was involved in a water-related situation. This includes, but is not limited to, incidents where:
- A dog entered water and required assistance
- A dog became distressed, trapped, or endangered in water
- A person entered the water to assist a dog and subsequently experienced difficulty or required rescue
If possible, please provide the data with reference to the following contextual factors, where recorded:
1. Location Type / Environment
- Calm lakes or shallow rivers
- Reservoirs, canals, or managed water bodies
- Fast-flowing rivers or currents
- Coastal/sea environments (including rough seas)
- Swimming pools
- Other inland or open water bodies
2. Environmental or Risk Factors
- Presence of hazardous conditions such as strong currents or deep water
- Water quality concerns (e.g. blue-green algae or other toxic hazards)
- Sudden immersion or temperature shock
- Fatigue-related incidents
- Hidden hazards (e.g. underwater obstacles, steep banks)
- Toy or "play" related accidents
3. Temporal Breakdown
- A yearly breakdown of incidents for each year in the dataset
- Where possible, a monthly breakdown, with particular emphasis on the period June to September to help identify any seasonal trends or spikes
4. Outcomes
- Number of rescues carried out
- Any recorded injuries or fatalities (human and/or animal, if available)
We said
Thank you for your request.
We do not hold data pertaining to animal injuries and mortality. The Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) managed by the University of Liverpool may be better placed to answer your query. They can be contacted via savsnet@liverpool.ac.uk
The Water Incident Database (WAID) Interactive Database includes UK data on fatalities due to animal rescue.
We are responsible for the production of mortality statistics. These are derived from information collected at the registration of the death.
We do not have any data published for deaths due to drowning where attempts to save or rescue dogs is mentioned in the coroners' texts. We may be able to create a custom output for this request. Extracts and tabulations of mortality data for England and Wales are available to order (subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreements of costs, where appropriate).
Deaths due to accidents 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 whether the drowning involved assisting an animal to be recorded on the death certificate, therefore a bespoke tabulation using coroners' text cannot be considered completely reliable and figures are likely to be an undercount.
If you would like to request this bespoke dataset, please contact Health.Data@ons.gov.uk to discuss your enquiry further.
As this information is reasonably accessible via another route, even if only accessible on payment, Section 21(2)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) applies.