Major update after Brits' call to prosecute owners when dogs kill other pets

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has released a crucial update following a petition from thousands of Brits calling for a change in the law for dog owners. The move comes after a campaign urged owners to be 'held accountable' and prosecuted when their dog kills another pet.

According to section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, if a dog is dangerously out of control anywhere, including all private property, the owner or person in charge of the dog commits a summary offence. Currently, the maximum penalty for this offence is 14 years in prison if it results in a person's death, five years if it causes injury, three years if it's an attack on an assistance dog, and six months if no injury is caused to a person.

However, spokespeople at Ask the Policewarn there is 'no certainty that the police could take action', in the specific event of a pet being wounded or killed by a dog. In such cases, which exclude deliberate attacks or dog fights, civil proceedings may instead be advised.

Therefore, the ongoing parliamentary petition has demanded that the Government strengthen its approach, asking for 'immediate legislative action' to 'prevent further tragedies'. However, in a recent update, DEFRA said 'police and local authorities already have a range of powers available to tackle dangerous dogs', but it did not outline any further developments.

The update, issued on September 1, read: "The Government recognises that dog attacks can have horrific consequences, and it takes this issue very seriously. The police and local authorities already have a range of powers available to tackle dangerous dogs and irresponsible dog ownership, including in instances where a dog attacks another animal, including pets.

"It is an offence under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (DDA) for the owner, or another person in charge of a dog, to cause or permit the dog to be dangerously out of control in any place.

"A dog may be considered dangerously out of control if it injures a person or an animal, or it causes a person to fear that it may injure them or their pet, and the person in charge of the dog has no proper control of it."

It later added: "Section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 allows a complaint to be made to a Magistrates' Court where a dog is "dangerous and not kept under proper control". The court may make any Order it considers appropriate to require the owner to keep the dog under proper control."

Under the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, police and local authorities also have the power to issue community protection notices (CPNs) to address antisocial behaviour involving dogs. As part of a CPN, the dog's owner may be asked to start doing specific things to minimise the dog's impact on the community, such as keeping the dog on a lead in public or attending training sessions for dogs.

DEFRA's response continued: "Under this legislation, enforcement authorities also have powers to make Public Space Protection Orders, which may be used by enforcers to require dogs to be kept on leads in certain areas or restrict the number of dogs that can be walked by one person at any one time, for example.

"The Government is working with the police, local authorities and animal welfare groups to help prevent further dog attacks by encouraging responsible dog ownership, making sure dog control issues are addressed before they escalate, and using the full force of the law where needed.

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"As part of this work, the Government has reconvened the Responsible Dog Ownership Taskforce to explore measures to promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog.

"The Government will continue to do its utmost to reduce the risk to people and animals from dangerous dogs and to prevent any more tragedies."

As of now, the petition, entitled 'Make it an offence for a person's dog to kill another pet and prosecute owners', has accumulated just over 22,000 signatures. If it reaches 100,000, it will be considered for a debate in Parliament.

You can view the petition in full here.