Overview

This Bill aims to strengthen the law in England and Wales regarding dog-on-dog attacks that result in the death of one of the dogs. It makes it a criminal offence for a person in charge of a dog to fail to take reasonable steps to prevent their dog from fatally injuring another dog.

Description

The Bill amends the Animal Welfare Act 2006 by adding a new section (8A) that specifically addresses fatal dog-on-dog attacks. It outlines that a person responsible for a dog is guilty of an offence if their dog fatally injures another dog and they failed to take reasonable steps to prevent it.

Factors considered when determining "reasonable steps": The Bill lists several factors to be considered when assessing whether reasonable steps were taken. These include whether the attacking dog was on a lead, whether another dog or human initiated aggression, whether a human aggravated the situation, and whether the responsible dog had a known history of aggression.

Penalties: For a summary conviction, the penalty is up to six months imprisonment, a fine, or both. For conviction on indictment (a more serious court process), the penalty is up to three years imprisonment, a fine, or both.

Police Recording: Chief Constables are required to record information about offences under this new section, including the number of reports and details of those reports.

Extent and Commencement: The Act applies to England and Wales only and will come into force three months after it is passed.

Government Spending

The Bill doesn't directly specify government spending figures. However, there will be some costs associated with enforcing the new law, including increased workload for police forces in recording and investigating offences, and potential costs associated with prosecutions.

Groups Affected

Dog Owners: This bill directly affects dog owners, who will face potential criminal prosecution if their dog fatally injures another dog and they are deemed not to have taken reasonable steps to prevent it.

Police Forces: Police forces will have increased workloads related to recording, investigating, and prosecuting offences under this new legislation.

Courts: Courts will process cases arising from alleged offences under the new law.

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