The current dog bite statistics for the state of Hesse have been released by the Ministry of the Interior, revealing that a breed list does not accurately reflect a dog’s danger level. In response to a request from the Left Party, the Ministry of the Interior has released the dog bite statistics for the state of Hesse for the years 2016 and 2017. In the past two years, a total of 297 and 309 people in the Hesse region were injured by dogs. Only 35 and 37 of the approximately 300 dogs are so-called “list dogs” and are on the breed list. Currently, there are 21 dog breeds on the breed list, which can vary from state to state.
“The current bite statistics once again demonstrate the breed list’s miserable failure, which only provides a false sense of security because a dog’s danger level cannot be determined by its breed,” said Mike Ruckelhaus, head of domestic animal welfare at the animal welfare organization TASSO e.V. “Despite the breed list, the number of bite incidents has remained high for over ten years, and a significant decrease is not in sight. Nevertheless, the state government remains resistant to advice and continues to adhere to the controversial list, even though non-list dogs account for about 90 percent of bite incidents each year.”
In June, the state parliament created the legal possibility for regulating the dog license and chip registration requirement with the votes of the ruling parties. However, a timely implementation seems unrealistic. According to the Ministry of the Interior, an expert group will be established first. “Since the state government already plans to require a certificate of competence for certain dogs and rejects an extension to all dogs, it does not seem to take significant measures to prevent dog bites seriously,” said Ruckelshaus. The animal welfare organization is calling for the abolition of the breed list, a quick introduction of the dog license, and the identification and registration requirement for all dogs kept in Hesse. Only in this way can the number of people bitten by dogs be reduced in the future.
