Report a dog attack

Find out what type of dog attacks you should report to us, and what you should report to the police.

How we investigate dog attacks

We investigate:

  • dogs causing fear or injury to people
  • dogs injuring other dogs in public places
  • attacks on assistance dogs

We cannot investigate cases that the police are already investigating.

If you're unable to identify the dog owner it's unlikely we'll be able to further investigate your case.

    We cannot take action without a formal statement and a commitment to appear at court if we need you to.

    Download a witness statement form.

    We'll keep your personal details confidential unless the matter goes to court.

    Report a different dog incident

    You should contact the police about:

    • dogs used as weapons
    • incidents involving guard dogs
    • incidents involving any of the banned breeds listed in section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (amended)
    • serious dog attacks on humans

    To report incidents like this, phone Sussex Police on 101.

    You can report other animal crime to Sussex Police.

    Community protection notice

    A community protection notice (CPN) orders the person responsible for the dog (usually the dog owner) to stop or control its behaviour.

    A CPN is usually issued to deal with minor incidents, including when a dog:

    • strays
    • causes alarm
    • damages property
    • shows it’s capable of aggression or is aggressive towards other dogs / animals.

    A CPN orders the responsible person to:

    • stop doing something, e.g. letting the dog into children’s play areas
    • do specified things, e.g. muzzling the dog
    • take reasonable steps to get specific results, e.g. attending dog-training classes

    A CPN can last for as long as the authority issuing it believes is necessary (e.g., 2 weeks to fix a fence, or several months to allow someone to attend a training course).

    A CPN may be issued if the dog’s behaviour is persistent, unreasonable and negatively affects the quality of life of people or animals.

    A written warning will be issued before a CPN.

    Written warning before a CPN

    The written warning must state:

    1. the behaviour that’s led to this warning being issued
    2. a reasonable time period in which the behaviour must stop
    3. what happens if they’re issued with a CPN and the penalties for not following a CPN

    Report a dog attack to the animal wardens

    Send an email to animalwardens@brighton-hove.gov.uk or phone 01273 294 266.

    Read our animal wardens complaint or query privacy notice for information on how we collect, store and process your data.