Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Croydon recorded the highest number of dog attacks in London, with nearly 9,000 dog-related incidents across the capital in three years, police data reveals.
A dangerously unruly dog hurting a person or assistance dog was the subject of 153 offenses in Croydon in the year ending March 2025.
In addition to the 168 dog attacks that occurred in 2023–2024 and the 157 that occurred in the 12 months prior, Croydon saw 478 uncontrollable dog assaults that resulted in injuries over the course of three years, or 13 dangerous dog attacks per month.
Croydon repeated the unwelcome achievement every year starting in 2022, with no other London municipality having 150 cases in a single year. Furthermore, these numbers are derived exclusively from instances that were reported to the Met.
8,883 uncontrollable dog assaults that resulted in injuries were reported in Greater London overall.
Just 122 cases (4%) in London as a whole resulted in an offender being charged in 2024–2025; however, 28 individuals were cautioned, and an additional 99 cases were closed following a “community resolution.”
Compared to the rest of the nation, London’s statistics are out of the ordinary. Only the Met Police showed a decrease in dog attacks over a three-year period out of the 19 police forces that supplied offense statistics.
As a sort of macho urban status symbol, large bulldog-cross dogs are frequently purchased or bred, and some owners have been known to use them to threaten or intimidate others.
Through Freedom of Information requests to all police departments nationwide, compensation lawyers Legal Expert collected the data and conducted the research.
Attorney Patrick Mallon, a legal expert, called the spate of attacks “extremely concerning.”
He said:
“In these incidents where a dog has become dangerously out-of-control and has caused injury, it is important that victims know there is support available to them.”
Following attacks nationwide, the government enacted new regulations on XL Bullies, a breed of pit bull hybrid with increased muscle, in January 2024.
All XL Bullies must now be kept on a leash and muzzled when they are in public, and their owners must get a certificate of exemption.
The RSPCA has recently spoken out against the Dangerous Dogs Act. Dr Samantha Gaines, the charity’s head of companion animals, said:
“It is absolutely heartbreaking that dog fatalities and serious bite incidents are continuing and in very concerning numbers – which underlines that the Dangerous Dog Act simply isn’t working, and hasn’t been for 34 years.
The law has been failing dogs and, crucially, public safety, for too long.”
Legal Expert offers support to victims of dangerous dog attacks and free advice on whether they can claim compensation, with a 24-hour helpline and live chat service which you can access via their website.
Why did Croydon record more incidents than other boroughs?
Certain areas within Croydon, particularly northern wards, have higher population densities and pockets of deprivation, factors linked to higher crime and potentially strained community resources including dog control.
Changes made by the Metropolitan Police in recording systems and increased accuracy in reporting might contribute to higher recorded incidents, meaning more dog attacks are officially documented as opposed to being underreported elsewhere.
Croydon consistently recorded over 150 injury-causing dog attacks per year from 2022 to 2025, a unique pattern not seen in other boroughs, suggesting persistent issues with dog control and public safety.