Out of control dogs 413/2025
FOI Reference: 413/25
Request:
I would like to request the following under the FOI Act for the years between and including 2019 and 2024.
- The number of out-of-control dog causing injury to a person or guide dog offences
- The number of these offences involving XL Bullies
- The number of dogs seized
- The number of these seizures involving XL Bullies
- The number of dogs destroyed
- The number of these destructions involving XL Bullies
Response:
Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1) (a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1) (b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.
Where exemptions are relied upon Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Dyfed-Powys Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:
(a) states that fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question and
(c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information you have requested. However, we are withholding the whole of the requested information since we consider that the Section 12(1) exemption the Cost of Compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit applies to it.
Section 12 (1) – The cost of compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit
Section 12(1) states: “…Section 1 (1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.”
The cost of providing you with the information requested in respect of your request is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving the information exceeds the “appropriate level” as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004. It is estimated that it would exceed 18 hours (i.e. approximately 260 hours) to comply with this part of your request. The regulations can be located @ https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/3244
The Freedom of Information Department has been advised that the information in relation to question 2 of the request is not held in an easily retrievable format.
The Department responsible for providing the data have stated that a manual review of all records in relation to question 1 to identify the dog breed. There are a total of 1,558 records that would require interrogation and It has been estimated that it would take 10 minutes to interrogate each record.
2019: 214 records x 10 minutes per record = 35.66 hours
2020: 237 records x 10 minutes per record = 39.5 hours
2021: 277 records x 10 minutes per record = 46.16 hours
2022: 266 records x 10 minutes per record = 44.33 hours
2023: 259 records x 10 minutes per record = 43.16 hours
2024: 305 records x 10 minutes per record = 50.83 hours
Total time to complete task = 260 hours
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for the WHOLE of this request under Section 17(5) A public authority which, in relation to any request for information, is relying on a claim that section 12 or section 14 applies must, within the time for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a notice stating that fact.
You may wish to refine and resubmit your request so that it reduces the time shown above to fall within the 18 hours.
Should you require any further advice in relation to this matter please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Please also be advised that should the request be refined, it does not remove the Force’s right to cite exemptions if relevant.
Although excess cost removed the force’s obligations under the Freedom of Information Act, as a gesture of goodwill, I have supplied information, relative to your request, retrieved or available before it was realised that the fees limit would be exceeded. I trust this is helpful, but it does not affect our legal right to rely on the fees regulations for the remainder of your request.
Response 1:
I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.
2019 – 214 out-of-control dog causing injury to a person or guide dog offences
2020 – 237 out-of-control dog causing injury to a person or guide dog offences
2021 – 277 out-of-control dog causing injury to a person or guide dog offences
2022 – 266 out-of-control dog causing injury to a person or guide dog offences
2023 – 259 out-of-control dog causing injury to a person or guide dog offences
2024 – 305 out-of-control dog causing injury to a person or guide dog offences
Response 3:
I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.
2019 – 2
2020 – 5
2021 – 6
2022 – 18
2023 – 19
2024 – 60
Response 4:
I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.
2019 – 0
2020 – 0
2021 – 0
2022 – 0
2023 – 4
2024 – 42
Response 5:
I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.
2019 – 1
2020 – 2
2021 – 2
2022 – 13
2023 – 12
2024 – 34
Response 6:
I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.
2019 – 0
2020 – 0
2021 – 0
2022 – 0
2023 – 4
2024 – 29
It should be noted that as a result of the systems adopted by Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to the recording of such information that the information released may or may not be accurate.
(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 16/04/2025)
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