FOI 754/26

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:

1. Dog attacks involving injury to a person
2. Dog attacks involving other animals
3. Dogs dangerously out of control (no injury)
4. Seizure of dangerous dogs

 

4. Breeds involved

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

1. A full breakdown by breed, or
2. The most commonly recorded breeds

 

5. Outcomes

Where available, a summary of outcomes, including:

1. Arrests or charges
2. Community resolutions
3. Dogs seized, destroyed, or subject to control measures

 

Response

 

Your request for information has now been considered and I am not obliged to supply the information you have requested. 

         

Section 17(5) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires South Wales 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.  

 

In relation to your request, the following exemption applies:  

  

Section 12(1) – Exemption where cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit. 

 

A search has been completed using our crime and incident recording system (Niche RMS) for all occurrences reported between 1^st January 2016 – 16^th June 2026 using the following Home Office Offence Codes:

 

• 8N/8/21: Owner or Person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in any place in England or Wales (whether or not a public place) injuring any person or assistance dog.

 

• N/111/18: Dangerous dog in public place (no inj. Caused) (Owner / person in charge of dog dangerously out of control in a public place - no injury )

  

This search retrieved 6143 occurrences at the time of searching.

 

We estimate that it would take approximately 5-6 minutes to individually interrogate each occurrence to determine the breed of the dog and whether the dog was seized, destroyed or subject to control measures.

 

We therefore estimate it would take over 18 hours to retrieve the information.

 

It is estimated that the cost of providing you with the information 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. 

 

In the case of the police service, the appropriate limit is £450 which has been calculated to equate to a total of 18 hours of work.

 

If any part of the request exceeds the fees limit then Section 12 applies to the whole request.

 

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice.

 

Excess cost removes the forces obligation under the Freedom of Information Act, however under Section 16 – Duty to provide advice and assistance, an authority is required to offer an applicant the opportunity to redefine their request within the cost limit. If you were to remove question 4, then we may be able to assist with your request. Furthermore, data regarding seized dogs is kept separately. We can therefore provide information in relation to question 5c, but specifically in relation to seized dogs, not in relation to the above two offences.