NEWS

Dangerous Dogs

You can't have failed to notice that there has been a great deal of press coverage regarding incidents of children being attacked by dogs. At Cooper & Co we regularly receive requests asking whether additional breeds of dog (for example rottweilers or dobermans) can be added to the list of dangerous dogs. Provision for this is already covered in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991:-

Section 2(1)

If the Secretary of State believes that any type of dog presents "a serious danger to the public" he may make orders requiring that such types of dog a) shall be muzzled and kept on a lead when in a public place, and/or b) shall not be abandoned nor allowed to stray. Before making such an order, the Secretary of State is obliged to consult with "such persons or bodies as appear to him to have relevant knowledge or experience, including a body concerned with animal welfare, a body concerned with veterinary science and practice and a body concerned with breeds of dogs".

Section 1(1)(c)

The Secretary of State also has the power to add additional types of dog to the full provisions of Section 1 (which include an outright ban) if the Secretary of State believes that such dogs have been "bred for fighting" or "have the characteristics of a type bred for that purpose".