ridingsafely
Well-Known Member
Enforcement of danger dog laws to be strengthened
Following the Bradford Telegraph and Argus campaign - Curb the Danger Dogs the newspaper reports that Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Minister Jeff Rooker has revealed police chiefs have now been told to enforce legislation to protect people from dog attacks more effectively.
The report goes on to say New guidance for police and local authorities is also being prepared and local projects to offer advice and free neutering to owners of dogs which pose a risk to society are being set up.
Mr Rooker is reported as saying: "Having carefully considered what the police said to us, our view is that it is important that the existing law is more rigorously enforced rather than introducing new legislation." adding "A wide variety of legislation is already in place to help control dogs and protect the public. To enact further regulations would only be repetitive and confusing to both the public and the officials that enforce the regulations.
The report adds that Mr Rooker said the Dangerous Dogs Act was not the only legislation governing dogs. The Town Police Clauses Act 1847 made it an offence to allow an unmuzzled ferocious dog to be off a lead in a street, park or open space or to allow a dog to attack or menace any person or animal and that the Animals Act 1971 made the keeper of an animal liable for any damage it causes if they knew it was likely to cause damage or injury unrestrained.
Read the full report from the Telegraph and Argus (15 March 2008) at http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/display.var.2122582.0.danger_dog_laws_to_be_strengthened.php
Related information
Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1991/Ukpga_19910065_en_1.htm
Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1997/ukpga_19970053_en_1
The Town Police Clauses Act 1847
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1847/cukpga_18470089_en_1
Animals Act 1971
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1971/cukpga_19710022_en_1
The British Horse Society bites back at dog attacks
In a separate initiative The British Horse Society would like to gather more information regarding the scale of the problem of dog attacks following a number of reports of poorly controlled dogs interacting negatively with horses made to its Access and Safety departments.
Director of Access Safety and Welfare, Mark Weston, said: "We would encourage anyone who has suffered as the result of a dog attack to fill in the form on our website, so that we can gauge how widespread this problem is."
The information gathered by the survey will form the basis of a guidance note and, if dog attacks are a large-scale issue, an awareness campaign.
The form can be found at http://www.bhs.org.uk/Content/Ods-More.asp?id=11025&pg=Information&spg=Home&area=9
Following the Bradford Telegraph and Argus campaign - Curb the Danger Dogs the newspaper reports that Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Minister Jeff Rooker has revealed police chiefs have now been told to enforce legislation to protect people from dog attacks more effectively.
The report goes on to say New guidance for police and local authorities is also being prepared and local projects to offer advice and free neutering to owners of dogs which pose a risk to society are being set up.
Mr Rooker is reported as saying: "Having carefully considered what the police said to us, our view is that it is important that the existing law is more rigorously enforced rather than introducing new legislation." adding "A wide variety of legislation is already in place to help control dogs and protect the public. To enact further regulations would only be repetitive and confusing to both the public and the officials that enforce the regulations.
The report adds that Mr Rooker said the Dangerous Dogs Act was not the only legislation governing dogs. The Town Police Clauses Act 1847 made it an offence to allow an unmuzzled ferocious dog to be off a lead in a street, park or open space or to allow a dog to attack or menace any person or animal and that the Animals Act 1971 made the keeper of an animal liable for any damage it causes if they knew it was likely to cause damage or injury unrestrained.
Read the full report from the Telegraph and Argus (15 March 2008) at http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/display.var.2122582.0.danger_dog_laws_to_be_strengthened.php
Related information
Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1991/Ukpga_19910065_en_1.htm
Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1997/ukpga_19970053_en_1
The Town Police Clauses Act 1847
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1847/cukpga_18470089_en_1
Animals Act 1971
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1971/cukpga_19710022_en_1
The British Horse Society bites back at dog attacks
In a separate initiative The British Horse Society would like to gather more information regarding the scale of the problem of dog attacks following a number of reports of poorly controlled dogs interacting negatively with horses made to its Access and Safety departments.
Director of Access Safety and Welfare, Mark Weston, said: "We would encourage anyone who has suffered as the result of a dog attack to fill in the form on our website, so that we can gauge how widespread this problem is."
The information gathered by the survey will form the basis of a guidance note and, if dog attacks are a large-scale issue, an awareness campaign.
The form can be found at http://www.bhs.org.uk/Content/Ods-More.asp?id=11025&pg=Information&spg=Home&area=9