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A Colne animal charity called the 567 attacks “scary”, revealing extreme breeding plus a rise in pet abandonments have led to increased aggression in dogs.

Paula Knowles, manager of Pendle Dogs, said: "It's scary. Many people don't want to take their dogs out in public."

Attacks have doubled since pre-lockdown, soaring by more than 100% from 75 in 2018 to 152 in 2022.

A young man is pictured with a dog displaying aggression.
The RSPCA says the first signs of canine anxiety, which can lead to aggression, are subtle. In a dog, they include yawning, licking their lips, lowering their body posture, hanging their tail between their legs, pushing their ears back, or turning their head to avoid eye contact. — A young man is pictured with a dog displaying aggression. The RSPCA says the first signs of canine anxiety, which can lead to aggression, are subtle. In a dog, they include yawning, licking their lips, lowering their body posture, hanging their tail between their legs, pushing their ears back, or turning their head to avoid eye contact.

By March this year, there were 32 - equating to at least two a week.

American XL Bully: Puppy thrown in Leeds and Liverpool Canal after being dumped ...

"I'm shocked at those figures: it's a huge rise,” said Paula, who predicts many more incidents in the summer, adding: “It will probably be worse than we can imagine."

The charity blames a demand for large, muscular breeds that look and act aggressively, like the new American XL Bully, particularly around the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The total number of dog-on-human attacks in Burnley, Pendle and the Ribble Valley dipped for the first time in four years in 2021 before rising by nearly 45% the following year.

"It's illegal to own a gun or carry a knife, but people can walk these big dogs, and no one says a word to them. Those dogs are getting bigger every year, and if the owners drop their lead, there would be issues."

Underground breeders fail to train or socialise puppies before selling them as pets, and owners later abandon them in adulthood due to behavioural issues.

"They are passed around several homes without structure or training or thrown onto the streets."

The charity receives two to three requests daily to take on dogs displaying aggression. One morning, they received four before 10am.

Ghost, an American XL Bully who was rescued by charity, Pendle Dogs. The animal sanctuary says Ghost was dumped in some Burnley allotments, passed from home to home and thrown in a canal by previous owners.

But the rescue is so overwhelmed it now only takes animals facing emergencies.

"People think we can take them immediately because they are showing aggression to children, but we can't, and then we don't hear from them again. It's sad because we don't want to leave them in that situation, but we have nowhere to put them.

"The owners are not putting them to sleep because they won't pay for it. They're just passing them on, and the dogs get more unstable each time. It's heart-breaking.

"The owners don't want to put any work into [training the dog]. The moment they have a problem, the dog has to go. They keep them in the garden and drag them out whenever they can be bothered."

Burnley MP, Antony Higginbotham, points to the Government's Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs for advice about handling and training animals to prevent attacks or chasing.

As well as increased dog training, Paula wants rogue breeding to stop.

"There are no homes for the dogs. If people stop breeding them, we could probably clear this mess up in a few years."

By law, a license is required to breed three or more litters of puppies for sale in 12 months and/or advertise a business of selling dogs.

And Lucy's Law outlaws third-party sales: people can only buy dogs from a breeder or a reputable sanctuary.

But Paula believes more action is needed to uphold existing animal welfare laws and check up on breeders, with many failing to microchip puppies because "there is no comeback."

A Burnley Council spokesperson said: “Any reports of unlicensed dog breeders are followed up and prioritised according to risk on a case-by-case basis, with appropriate action taken.”

The Express is awaiting comment from the police.

Dogs attack hundreds of people in Burnley, Pendle and the Ribble Valley