RSPCA welcomes MP's proposed changes to dog legislation

Wednesday, 1 July 2009 12:00 AM

Dog owners could be made legally responsible for their pets being dangerously out of control in gardens and on private property, if a new parliamentary Bill is passed as law.

The RSPCA is supporting the Ten Minute Rule Bill1 proposed by Angela Smith MP (Sheffield Hillsborough), which also recommends dogs currently banned under section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act2 can be placed on the exempted register without being seized.

Although the RSPCA remains opposed to breed specific legislation, this would ensure the better welfare of the dog and prevent the animal spending time in kennels while the exemption process takes place.

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 currently only applies to public places and makes it difficult to hold an owner accountable if their dog injures, or even kills, a person or another animal in a private home or garden. The Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill would change that by making dog owners legally responsible for their animals in public and private places.

Claire Robinson, the RSPCA's Government Relations Manager, said: "By putting more legal emphasis on dog owners rather than their pets, The Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill is a step in the right direction which we strongly welcome. In so many instances, the biggest problem of all is with the person at the other end of a dog's lead, rather than the animal itself.

"However, the RSPCA remains opposed to breed specific legislation and believes it is time the Government took a closer look at the issue and replaced what is a flawed and outdated law."

The Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill will be read in the House of Commons today (Wednesday, 1 July). If the Bill is approved by the House of Commons at its first reading stage it will go on to receive a second reading.

The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) and Royal Mail have already given their backing to the Bill. The CWU is campaigning on this issue after it was estimated that 5,000 postal workers require medical treatment for dog bites every year3.

The RSPCA has long stated its desire for the law to put more emphasis of responsibility on dog owners, rather than penalise specific breeds. Earlier this year the Society supported Lord Redesdale's Dog Control Bill, which also took the emphasis away from specific breeds and made owners more accountable for their pets in public and private places. The Bill received cross-party support at its second reading in the House of Lords in May.

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Notes for editors:

1. A Ten Minute Rule Bill is a type of private members bill for MPs. Time is given on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the House of Commons for a backbench MP to introduce a bill of their own. They can give a speech in support of their proposal, which lasts 10 minutes. An MP who objects to the bill can then make a speech opposing the proposal, which also lasts 10 minutes. If the House supports the bill, it is added to the register of parliamentary business and is scheduled, along with other Private Members Bills, for a second reading at which point it is published as a white paper.

2. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 made it an offence to own or keep four breeds of dog in the UK, unless a dog is registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs and is in compliance with the requirements of registration. The four banned breeds are the Pit Bull Terrier type, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro.

3. Morgan, M. & Palmer, J. (2007) Dog bites. British Medical Journal, 334, 413-417.

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