Dangerous Dogs
There are about 200,000 incidents of dogs biting people every year in the UK. Dogs teeth can cause very deep wounds and contain bacteria which make the wound go septic very easily.
The law
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 makes it an offence to own a dog that is a danger to the public. The police decide when to take action in such cases in East Hampshire but it usually follows a serious dog biting incident.
It is also an offence under this Act for a dog to be “dangerously out of control” in a public place. The owner of the dog may be prosecuted and fined up to £5,000. The magistrates may also order that the dog is destroyed or controlled in some way, e.g. muzzled and on a lead at all times in the public.
The Act also makes it illegal to own, breed from, sell, give away, or have in public without a lead or muzzle, an unregistered Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo argentine, Filo braziliera or Japanese Tosa. This also bears a fine of up to £5,000. The Dogs Act 1871 can also be used to place a Control Order on a dog, i.e. requiring that it should be muzzled or kept on a lead etc.
How to keep your dog from being dangerous
Make sure your dog is well socialised with people and other animals from a young age.
Do not encourage him to bite, even in play, or to guard your property or yourselves aggressively. Make sure his bark is worse than his bite.
Ensure that he is well trained so you have him under control at all times. You should use a muzzle and a lead if you have any doubts about your dog’s temperament.
A dog may be good with people but not other dogs. You should still be careful as a large percentage of dog bites occur when owners are trying to separate dogs that are fighting.
What to do about dangerous dogs
Report any dogs you feel may be dangerous to the dog warden.
Report any dog biting incident to your local police immediately.