THE number of dog attacks reported in Bathurst is on the decline.
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Data from the first three quarters of the 2021-22 year shows that there has been just seven dog attacks reported by Bathurst Regional Council since the beginning of July 2021.
Only two people were attacked, both of those involved in "less serious attacks".
It is a massive decline compared to the same nine-month period in 2020-21, where there were 15 incidents.
Eight people were attacked, with three of them involved in serious attacks.
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The definition of a serious attack is where a person was involved and where the injury resulted in medical treatment, hospitalisation or death.
While the figures from 2020-21 were much higher than the current year, they were significantly lower than what was seen in the first three quarters of the previous year.
In 2019-20, there were 22 dog attacks reported by council between the start of July 2019 and end of March 2020 , with 11 people attacked.
Of those 11 people, six were involved in serious attacks.
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Council's director of Environmental, Planning and Building Services, Neil Southorn, said "it is pleasing to see that dog attack numbers have reduced".
However, he couldn't pinpoint what factors might have led to the substantial declines.
"There are a whole range of factors which contribute to dog attacks occurring, it is very difficult to relate it to any particular factor," he said.
"Council has a program of ongoing education for the community regarding responsible pet ownership, including radio segments, social media posts and information on council's website."
To keep the number of incidents on the decline, people are encouraged to take responsibility of their pets to ensure they don't become involved in an attack.
"Most dog attack incidents occur as a result of dogs escaping their yards or the owner's property. Council regularly reminds dog owners to ensure their fences and gates are secure," Mr Southorn said.
Councils report dog attack incidents to the Office of Local Government every three months, with the data made available on its website.
Attacks on both people and other animals are recorded.
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