Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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Dangerous dogs consultation responses published
Animal Welfare Minister Lord Henley today published the summary of the 4,250 responses to the dangerous dogs consultation to better inform wider public debate on the issue, and repeated his commitment to tackling dangerous dogs and irresponsible owners.
Lord Henley said:
“The issue of dangerous dogs is not just a problem of dangerous breeds but also one of bad owners. They need to be held to account and stopped from ruining people’s lives.
“Dangerous dogs are a major issue affecting many people. This is why I am working closely with Ministerial colleagues in the Home Office on the anti-social behaviour dimension to this issue. We are also working with groups such as the RSPCA to look at other issues raised in the consultation, such as breed-specific bans, micro-chipping and attacks on private property.”
Lord Henley said that he would announce the Government’s approach to dangerous dogs early in the New Year.
Responses to many of the forty proposals in the dangerous dogs consultation were strongly divided, with primary concerns being whether the bans on specific dog breeds were the best approach to reduce dog attacks, and how to deal promptly and effectively with those that allow their dogs to be a nuisance to others.
Notes to editors
1. The responses to the consultation on dangerous dogs launched by the previous Government can be found here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/dangerous-dogs/index.htm
2. The Government is currently working on a proposal for a project to look at the motivations, barriers and social norms surrounding the acquisition and keeping of ‘status dogs’ in urban communities in the UK. This project has the support of the Home Office, Communities, Met Police, RSPCA and Dogs Trust.
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Contacts:
Defra Press Office
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Tom Briggs
Phone: 020 7238 6140
tom.briggs@defra.gsi.gov.uk
