Dogs are supposed to be man’s best friend, yet the incidence of people being injured by animals we keep as pets continues to rise.

For two decades the Telegraph & Argus has been campaigning for tighter controls on dog ownership, ever since Bradford woman Rukhsana Khan suffered a horrific attack that received national attention.

Six years ago we launched our Curb the Danger Dogs Campaign in a bid to get the Government to toughen up the Dangerous Dogs Act which was ushered in following the attack on Rukhsana. But still attacks from dogs are a problem, with the latest figures showing more than 100 people were treated for dog bites in Bradford’s hospitals over a 12 month period – almost two a week on average.

Our campaign saw some measure of success earlier this year when the Government announced plans for compulsory microchipping of dogs so owners can be traced and a closing of a loophole in the law that means dog attacks on the owner’s property can go unprosecuted.

Obviously, though, not all of the 103 attacks in Bradford will be from dogs covered by the Dangerous Dogs Act – many will come from breeds that are more commonly found in most dog-owning family homes.

The figures serve as a timely reminder that dogs – no matter how much of a well-loved family pet they might be – are still animals, and as such must be treated with the proper care, attention and respect.

If mistreated, kept in poor conditions or allowed to be constantly annoyed by small children, even the most placid breed of dog can turn vicious and bite back – with often tragic consequences.