Bracknell Council Reports Zero Dog Bites

Bracknell Forest Council says no dog bites involving its workers were reported to health and safety watchdogs over the past three years.

The figures came from a Freedom of Information request by charity Blue Cross, which asked councils about dog warden services and attacks on staff. The council said it recorded no dog bites under RIDDOR involving its staff between 2023 and 2025, and none via the Public Protection Partnership (PPP) shared service.

The council runs dog warden services in-house, though out-of-hours dog collections are outsourced, and said it cannot give a separate annual spend because the service is shared.

PPP has generic risk assessments for dog safety and the council says teams cover the issue in their own assessments. The FOI specifically asked about staff visiting private properties, including refuse collectors, social workers and housing officers.

RIDDOR requires certain serious workplace injuries to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive. Dog attacks remain a recognised risk: Blue Cross reported more than 2,000 dog-bite cases involving postal workers in 2024 and is working with Royal Mail to raise awareness among owners.

Katie French, Local Democracy Reporter