Out of control dogs 588/2026

FOI Reference: 588/2026

Request:

1. Total number of incidents

The total number of recorded incidents involving dangerous or out-of-control dogs, broken down by calendar year for the last 10 years (for example: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and the most recent available data for 2025/2026).

2. Geographic breakdown

A breakdown of these incidents by the smallest available geographic area used by your force (for example: neighbourhood, ward, district, or local policing area).

3. Incident types

Where recorded, a breakdown of incidents by type, such as:

• • Dog attacks involving injury to a person
  • Dog attacks involving other animals
  • Dogs dangerously out of control (no injury)
  • Seizure of dangerous dogs

4. Breeds involved

If held, details of dog breeds recorded in connection with these incidents, either as:

• • A full breakdown by breed, or
  • The most commonly recorded breeds

5. Outcomes

Where available, a summary of outcomes, including:

• • Arrests or charges
  • Community resolutions
  • Dogs seized, destroyed, or subject to control measures

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. minimum of 182.75 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 respect of Questions 3 & 4 of your request is not held in an easily retrievable format. In light of this and in order to accurately obtain the information relative to your request for the time frame stipulated would involve Dyfed Powys Police accessing and manually reviewing all dangerous or out-of-control dogs causing injury to a person offences, due to the crime type not being broken down any further and breed of dog is not a recorded field on the crime recording system.

It has been established that there are a total of 2193 records that cover the period of your request.  It has also been established that it would take a minimum of 5 minutes to review and obtain the information for a single record in respect of your request (as outlined above).  The process outlined results in the below time estimate. 

2193 records x 5 minutes per record = 182.75 hours = time estimate to complete task.

Please note that the relevant department has advised that a response to Question 5 could be provided within the appropriate time limit, i.e. 18 hours.  

In accordance therefore 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 the Freedom of Information Unit. Please also be advised that should the request be refined, it does not remove the public authorities right to cite exemptions if relevant. 

Although excess cost removes the forces obligations under the Freedom of Information Act to provide any further information, as a gesture of goodwill, I have provided information, relative to Questions 1 & 2 of your request which has been easily retrievable and outlined below. 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

Please note that only data from 2018 onwards is available.

Volumes below refer to offences with the offence code `DangerDog` for data prior to May 2023 and `Owner or person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in any place in England and Wales (whether or not in a public place) injuring any person or assistance dog’ offences for data post May 2023.  It is important to note that these offences only include dangerous or out-of-control dogs causing injury to a person.

Please note that if you are seeking all incidents involving dangerous or out-of-control dogs reported via 999 / 101 (both injury / no injury), it would likely exceed 18 hours of working for the entire FOI depending on how many records need manually reviewing. As there are no filters to narrow down incidents just relating to dangerous or out-of-control dogs.

Response 2

*Please use slider at the base of the table to see the complete figures.

This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 19/06/2026.