Dangerous Dogs
Been bitten?
Dogs teeth can cause very deep wounds and contain bacteria which make the wound go septic very easily so, if you do get bitten, you should visit your hospital or surgery as soon as possible.
The law
The police decide when to take action under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in East Hampshire but it usually follows a serious dog biting incident.
It is an offence under this Act for a dog to be 'dangerously out of control' in a public place, it is called an 'aggravated offence' if the dogs bites someone while dangerously out of control. The owner or person in charge of 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 public.
It is also an offence for an owner/person in charge to allow a dog to enter a place which is not a public place and where the dog is not permitted to be if it injures someone there.
The Act makes it illegal to own, breed from, sell, give away, or have in public without a lead or muzzle, a Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo argentino, Fila braziliera or Japanese Tosa (unless the dog has been exempted by order of the courts). This also bears a fine of up to £5,000.
The Dogs Act 1871 can also be used to request a Control Order on a dog, e.g. requiring that it should be muzzled or kept on a lead etc. This law is best used for less serious offences or for a dog that causes serious injury whilst on private land.
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.
Allowing your dog to attack other dogs, cats, horses or other animals may still warrant use of the Dogs Act 1871 and make you subject to civil action by the animal's owner
What to do about dangerous dogs
Report any dog biting incident to your local police and the dog warden immediately (it is better to have an incident on record with both). The Police will decide whether or not legal action is to be taken; the dog warden will usually only get involved in an advisory capacity if the Police are not pursuing legal action.
Report any dogs you feel may be dangerous to the dog warden.