FOI 63/26 Dogs Seized
Date: 11/02/26
Enquiry Reference: FOI 63-26
I write in connection with regards to your Freedom of Information request. Please accept my apologies for the late response. Your request is below with our response.
For each calendar year from 2019 to 2025, please provide the following information.
If information is not held by calendar year, please supply figures by financial year instead.
- Dogs seized by police
For the avoidance of doubt, please exclude stray dogs handled on behalf of local authorities. Please include only dogs seized by the police in connection with criminal investigations, public-safety incidents, or powers under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
1a. The number of dogs seized by the force.
- a) The below are all dogs seized we do not record if they are in connection with a criminal investigation or public safety incident. We record seizures by Section 1, Section 3, Section 1 & 3, Stray, Disclaimed by owner, Prisoners dogs, Recovered from sudden death and other.
2018/19 – 23
2019/20 – 34
2021/22 – 30
2022/23 – 24
2023/24 – 64
2024/25 – 143
2025/26 – 106
1b. If recorded in an extractable format, the number of dogs seized, broken down by the reason for seizure (e.g., Dangerous Dogs Act, owner arrested, welfare grounds, other policing powers).
If this is not recorded in a structured form, please instead state so”.
- a) The way we hold/record this data changed in 2024 and there was a crossover, hence the below table is split.
|
|
Section 1 (4)(a) |
Section 1 (4)(b) |
Section 1 (prosecution) |
Section 3 |
Section 1 |
Section 3 |
Section 1 & 3 |
|
2018/19 |
1 |
1 |
|
12 |
|
|
|
|
2019/20 |
2 |
11 |
|
12 |
|
|
|
|
2020/21 |
|
4 |
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
2021/22 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
|
2022/23 |
1 |
3 |
|
16 |
1 |
|
2 |
|
2023/24 |
1 |
2 |
|
26 |
2 |
12 |
4 |
|
2024/25 |
|
|
|
|
25 |
47 |
17 |
|
2025/26 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1c. The number of dogs seized, split by suspected breed
The table below included the Sections in 1b.
|
Breed/Year |
2018/19 |
2019/20 |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
|
A.B.D |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|||
|
Akita |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
||
|
Akita |
1 |
|||||
|
Boxer |
2 |
|||||
|
Bull Cross |
1 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
||
|
Bulldog |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
CaneCorso |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
ChowChow |
1 |
|||||
|
Doberman |
2 |
1 |
||||
|
Dutch Herder |
||||||
|
Foxterrier |
1 |
|||||
|
Husky |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
JRT |
1 |
|||||
|
Kangal |
1 |
|||||
|
Malamut |
1 |
|||||
|
Malinois |
3 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
|
|
Mastiff |
1 |
|||||
|
Mastiff Cross |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
P.B.T |
3 |
11 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
|
|
Pocket bulldog |
1 |
|||||
|
Pressa |
1 |
|||||
|
Rottweiler |
1 |
|||||
|
S.B.T |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
S.B.T Cross |
2 |
2 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
Shitzu |
1 |
|||||
|
U/K |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
XL Bulldog |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
||
|
(blank) |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|||
|
Collie Cross |
||||||
|
German Shepherd |
1 |
|||||
|
German Shepherd |
||||||
|
Staffi Cross |
3 |
|||||
|
Staffi |
1 |
|
Breed/Year |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
|
XL Bully |
2 |
3 |
29 |
21 |
|
N/S |
1 |
|
|
|
|
Pocket Bully |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
Malinios |
|
3 |
9 |
7 |
|
Mastiff |
|
1 |
7 |
2 |
|
Staffy |
|
2 |
|
|
|
Bull type |
|
4 |
17 |
36 |
|
Akita |
|
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
Malamut |
|
1 |
|
|
|
ABD |
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
Pit Bull Terrier |
|
3 |
23 |
14 |
|
GSD |
|
|
3 |
4 |
|
Cane Corso |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
Other |
|
1 |
4 |
15 |
1d. The number of seized dogs that were destroyed.
1e. If recorded in an extractable format, the number of seized dogs that were destroyed split by suspected breed.
|
2018/19 |
2019/20 |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
|
|
A.B.D |
1 |
|||||
|
Akita |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Bull Cross |
||||||
|
Bulldog |
||||||
|
ChowChow |
1 |
|||||
|
Doberman |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
Dutch Herder |
||||||
|
Malinois |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
||
|
Mastiff Cross |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
P.B.T |
1 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
||
|
Pocket bulldog |
1 |
|||||
|
Pressa |
1 |
|||||
|
S.B.T |
1 |
1 |
||||
|
S.B.T Cross |
1 |
|||||
|
XL Bulldog |
1 |
|||||
|
(blank) |
1 |
|||||
|
Staffi Cross |
||||||
|
Grand Total |
5 |
4 |
7 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
|
Breed/Year |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
|
XL Bully |
2 |
2 |
31 |
7 |
|
N/S |
|
|
|
|
|
Pocket Bully |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
Malinios |
|
|
4 |
5 |
|
Mastiff |
|
1 |
4 |
1 |
|
Staffy |
|
|
|
|
|
Bull type |
|
1 |
4 |
13 |
|
Akita |
|
1 |
3 |
1 |
|
Malamut |
|
1 |
|
|
|
ABD |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
Pit Bull Terrier |
|
3 |
7 |
6 |
|
GSD |
|
|
3 |
2 |
|
Cane Corso |
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
2 |
2 |
- Kennelling
2a. The total annual expenditure by the force on kennelling dogs seized by police (as defined above) for each year.
If kennelling costs are not separately coded or cannot be isolated from wider animal-handling or contract costs, please state this.
a)
2025/26 - £152,818 (to December 2025)
2024/25 - £216,440.
2023/24 - £169,016.
2022/23 - £48,282.10
2021/22 - £29,858.88
2020/21 - £40,044.13
2019/20 - £32,873.58
Having made enquiries within the Force above is all the information we hold.
Please note that all statistical data supplied in relation to Freedom of Information requests is a snapshot of data held at the time the request was received by the Freedom of Information office and is subject to constant change/updates.
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Yours sincerely
Information Rights Decision Maker