FOI 589-2025 / June 2025 / Dog offences
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 589-2025
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 2nd June 2025 as follows:
- If you can provide them, I would like to know the number for how many offence code 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, you have had in 2023, 2024 and how every many months of 2025 data you have, by month would be great if you have it. In your police force
- It's my understanding there is no way of readily identifying breed of the dog from the crime recording system. In order to determine whether an attack took place and whether the breed of dog is mentioned, it would be necessary to examine each and every 008/21 investigation on an individual basis, including any associated documents.
If this is the case- would I be able to have any information from just the month of February 2024- with the breeds of dogs in these cases? In your police force
- How many section 1 dogs under the dangerous dogs act/ banned breeds have been seized since December 31st 2024 monthly or a total to May 2025 in your police force.
- The number of dogs seized under section one of the dangerous dogs act that have been destroyed between the 31st December 2023 monthly or total to May 2025 in your police force.
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Response: Please be advised that not all of the requested information is centrally recorded and is therefore not held in a readily retrievable format. In order to provide the requested information for Q4 relating to seizures of suspected banned breeds, and whether euthanised, it would be necessary to manually review the wider records and documentation of each and every seizure for the specified period. The business area has advised that there were 131 dogs seized just for the period of 2024 alone and that it would take approximately 20 to 30 minutes to review each seizure to establish relevant cases and then further detail, and that such searches would equate to between 44 and 66 hours of work for 2024 data alone. Therefore, the work involved in locating and retrieving the requested information for 2024 alone would exceed the cost threshold of £450, which equates to 18 hours work at a standard rate of £25 per hour, as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004. However, the cost would actually be even greater considering the further 5 month period required for Q4.
In accordance with Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for this request.
In accordance with Section 16 of the Act, I have a duty to provide advice and assistance; however, due to the volume of records that would need to be individually reviewed, I am unable to suggest a way to reduce the request into one that could be managed within the fees limit for these elements of your request.
However, I can advise that, were you to withdraw Q4, it may be possible to retrieve information for Q1 and Q2 within the fees limit. However, with regard to Q2, where any breed has been recorded in relation to an offence, it is important to note that, in many cases, this is a description provided by persons who have no former knowledge of the animal. Therefore, the information would be based on what has been recorded, but could not be taken as verified information in relation to the breed, so this needs to be taken into account with regard to accuracy of the information.
It is not known at this point, but it may be possible to retrieve some information in relation to Q3; however, this would be entirely dependent upon the number of records which would need to be reviewed on an individual basis for the 5 month period requested. Therefore, should you wish to resubmit Q3 also, please be mindful that there is a possibility that this may still exceed the fees limit. Further, in the event that information is retrievable, this would be subject to the usual disclosure considerations.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible.
Your attention is drawn to the below which details your right of complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write or email the Freedom of Information Unit quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Unit
Warwickshire Police
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwickshire
CV35 7QB