Dangerous dogs laws tightened after sharp rise in complaints
Government tightens laws on dangerous dogs as RSPCA sees 12-fold increase in complaints
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Tuesday, 09, Mar 2010 12:06
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The laws regarding dangerous dogs are to be tightened after the RSPCA saw a 12-fold increase in complaints about dog fights between 2004 and 2008.
The animal charity welcomed the government's announcement today, but said irresponsible pet ownership needed to be the focus of the legislation.
Environment secretary Hilary Benn and home secretary Alan Johnson said laws would be tightened following rising public concern that some irresponsible owners may be using dogs to intimidate communities or as weapons by gangs.
They said that current laws do not go far enough to protect the public, because the current Dangerous Dogs Act does not cover attacks on private property where a dog is permitted to be.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) saw a 12-fold increase in complaints about dog fights between 2004 and 2008 and in the last year the police seized 900 dangerous dogs in London alone.
A number of high profile cases of children being killed or badly mauled by dogs has also seen the public call for tighter laws on dangerous animals. Last November a four-year-old boy, John-Paul Massey, died after being attacked by a dog at his family home in Liverpool.
The government said the aim of the consultation launched today is to review and streamline current legislation to better protect the public; help enforcers tackle those who abuse the law; and stop the abuse suffered by dogs that end up in the wrong hands.
Mr Johnson said: "Britain is a nation of animal lovers, but people have a fundamental right to feel safe on the streets and in their homes. The vast majority of dog owners are responsible, but there is no doubt that some people breed and keep dogs for the soul purpose of intimidating others, in a sense using dogs as a weapon.
"It is this sort of behaviour that we will not tolerate; it is this sort of behaviour that we are determined to stop."
Under current legislation, four types of dog are banned and it is illegal to breed or keep one of these breeds unless a court places it on the Exempted Dog Index which requires the animal to be neutered, tattooed, micro chipped, muzzled and on a lead in public.
The RSPCA said it welcomed the home secretary's announcement, and says it has long called for more effective legislation that puts greater emphasis on punishing irresponsible dog owners who cause animals to suffer, rather than the breed or type of dog concerned.
Claire Robinson, the RSPCA's government relations manager, said: "There is a real need for updated legislation that enables enforcers to tackle the problem effectively and prevent serious incidents from occurring rather than waiting till after a tragedy or penalising certain dogs just because of their breed or type."
She added that vets at RSPCA animal hospitals, as well as many of the charity's inspectors out in the field, come across dogs on a daily basis that have suffered cruelty or neglect at the hands of irresponsible owners.
"It needs to be remembered that dog welfare isn't just about 'dangerous dogs'. Strays and over-breeding are also areas that would need to be properly addressed as part of any comprehensive dog welfare strategy," Ms Robinson added.