Serious pet attacks triple in past decade

Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows there were about 12,300 hospitalisations in 2021-22 from pet attacks and that was up from about 4,350 ten years ago.

The spike has been driven by a surge in the number of dog attacks across the country.

Dogs accounted for three in four serious pet-related injuries in 2021-22 and 40 per cent of all hospitalisations from animal attacks.

The injuries most often occurred at home and during leisure activities with wounds to the hand, wrist, neck and head the most common result of an attack.

RSPCA Good Pet Behaviour Centre's Dr Gabrielle Carter and Dr Caroline Thursfield said dog attacks were often the result of owners not recognising or responding to warning signs from their pets.

"The majority of aggressive dog behaviour often stems from fear and anxiety, so it's vital to listen when a dog tells you they are feeling uncomfortable, scared or even in pain," they said.

Dr Carter said there were several warning signs owners needed to look for in their dog:

Dr Carter and Dr Thursfield said it was often easy to pinpoint why a dog was stressed, but if an owner was struggling to work out the cause, they should seek out a vet.

That most bites were inflicted to the hands and head indicated attacks often occurred when the victim was already interacting with the dog.

"An easy test is to stop the interaction and see if the dog nudges you to continue or if they try to leave or turn their head away," they said.

"If their body is tense, particularly around their legs, neck or face, then it's time to take a break and let them relax by themselves in a safe space."

Pet ownership rose 10 per cent during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to research from Animal Medicines Australia, with more than two thirds of Australian households owning a pet by 2022.

The number and rate of injuries from pet attacks has been rising steadily since 2012 when pet ownership was fairly stable.

However, Dr Carter and Dr Thursfield were unable to provide any insight on the underlying reason behind the rise in incidents reflected in the data.

While serious pet attacks almost tripled since 2012, the number of injuries from livestock and wild animals, remained steady over the decade.

Meanwhile, venomous creatures accounted for a small minority of hospitalisations.

Venomous snakes caused just 2.3 per cent of animal-related hospitalisations, with brown snakes responsible for 200 of 539 serious snakebites in 2021-22.

Spider bites led to 474 hospital visits with red backs the culprit on 111 occasions and funnel webs responsible for just 39 incidents.

Injuries from livestock such as horses and cattle were much more likely to send people to hospital causing 21 per cent of serious animal-related injuries.

Women were more likely to suffer injuries from pets and livestock while men were more likely to be injured by wild animals and sea creatures.