16/05/2013

New Tougher Dog Laws 'Do Not Go far Enough'

MPs have said new laws aiming to tackle the threat of dangerous dogs do not go far enough.

Currently the law, dating back to 1991, only covers dog attacks in public places or places dogs are restricted from being. The planned new law would make it a criminal offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control on private property also.

However, MPs have been critical that the law doesn’t contain action of reducing risk of attacks by address threatening behaviour at an early stage.

The tougher extension to the law would also criminalise attacks on assistance dogs, but exempt homeowners from prosecution should a dog attack a trespasser, although there has been uncertainty as to how this would extend to people “trespassing” with innocent intentions, such as a child recovering a ball from a garden, according to the BBC.

(MH/CD)




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