Sharp increase in dog bite incidents recorded in canton Zurich

Significantly more cases of dogs biting people, other dogs or other animals were recorded in Zurich last year compared with 2022, an increase the cantonal Veterinary Office has said it cannot explain. There is no apparent reason for the rise, according to an annual report recently published by the canton of Zurich’s Veterinary Office. It said it remains to be seen whether the number of reported dog bite incidents will continue to rise – and if so, to what extent. Medical, veterinary and police professionals, as well as private individuals, submitted around 24% more reports in 2023, with the total climbing from 1,356 to 1,661 cases. + Read more: how well are Swiss animals protected? The most frequent reports were about biting incidents involving humans, for which the number rose from 659 to 839. A further 673 cases involving other dogs or other animals were registered compared to 532 the previous year, while 144 reports concerned dogs with aggressive behaviour, an increase on 125 in ...