Seized/euthanised dogs (FOI ref: 1902A/25)

Request

For the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 to current date:

1. How many dogs were seized by your force?

2. How many of these dogs (1.) died while being held in pounds?

3. How many of these dogs (1.) were later euthanised by a vet? 

4. Of the dogs that were euthanised (3.) how many were either suspected or assessed to be XL Bullies?

5. How many dogs that were seized (1.) were returned to their owners?

Response

1. How many dogs were seized by your force?

01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023 = 1,056

01/04/2023 - 31/03/2024 = 1,349

01/04/2024 - 31/03/2025 = 1,741

01/04/2025 - 19/09/2025 = 743

2. How many of these dogs (1.) died while being held in pounds?

01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023 = Three but they were all newborn puppies.

01/04/2023 - 31/03/2024 = Seven, two of which were very young puppies seized after the owner was found deceased and the dogs were living in very poor conditions.

01/04/2024 - 31/03/2025 = 15 but 13 of those were very young puppies that were born whilst in kennels.

01/04/2025 - 19/09/2025 = One

3. How many of these dogs (1.) were later euthanised by a vet?

01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023 = 73

01/04/2023 - 31/03/2024 = 352

01/04/2024 - 31/03/2025 = 404

01/04/2025 - 19/09/2025 = 98

4. Of the dogs that were euthanised (3.) how many were either suspected or assessed to be XL Bullies?

01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023 = 11

01/04/2023 - 31/03/2024 = 124

01/04/2024 - 31/03/2025 = 242

01/04/2025 - 19/09/2025 = 34

5. How many dogs that were seized (1.) were returned to their owners?

01/04/2022 - 31/03/2023 = 123

01/04/2023 - 31/03/2024 = 165

01/04/2024 - 31/03/2025 = 263

01/04/2025 - 19/09/2025 = 87

Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that this data has been extracted from a number of data sources used by forces for police purposes. The detail collected to respond specifically to your request may be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when interpreting the data.

The figures provided therefore are our best interpretation of data which has relevance to your request, but you should be aware that the collation of figures for ad hoc requests may have limitations and this should be taken into account when those data are used.

If you decide to write an article / use the enclosed data we would ask you to take into consideration the factors highlighted in this document so as to not mislead members of the public or official bodies, or misrepresent the relevance of the whole or any part of this disclosed material.