05/08/2025
The summer holidays can turn into horrific horror stories if you don’t take care when allowing your children to interact with dogs. Please supervise your children when around dogs. Children will act like children and dogs will react like dogs. This isn’t always a safe mix 🙏🏼🐾
NEWS: Dog owners and parents urged to keep children safe during school holidays
This year, 165 children have been injured by dogs across South Yorkshire - parents and dog owners must act to protect them during school holidays.
As the summer holidays begin, children will spend more time at home and visiting family and friends with dogs or outside enjoying parks and places.
We are committed to educating parents and owners around dog safety, but everyone must act.
During 2024’s summer school holidays, 34 children under the age of 16 were injured by dogs across South Yorkshire.
Research shows you are more likely to be bitten by a dog known to you in your home than anywhere else.
We’re urging families to remember that dogs, no matter how long you have owned them for, are animals and can show signs of aggression no matter their previous history.
Dogs can’t communicate to us. If they’re in pain or experiencing stress and anxiety it can influence their behaviour, acting in ways that may be unusual for your pet.
📣 Inspector Steve Usher explains more: “Dogs are a huge part of people’s families, and bring great joy to children’s lives, but they are animals, and they have innate characteristics and traits. Any dog, regardless of its breed or nature, can cause injury.
“Please stop thinking ‘it won’t happen to me’ and talk to your child about respecting your own dog, and staying safe around other people’s dogs.
“If every owner steps up and makes small changes, we can make a difference.”
If you have children in your home, or around your dog, please remember:
• Never leave children and dogs unattended
• Make sure your dog has somewhere safe and comfortable to go to when you have visitors
• As your family grows and your children become older, changes in your house may need to be made. As children become more mobile, consider stair gates to separate your dog and child
