Neighbourhood Watch Message - 28 March 2013
Keeping Your Dog Under Control
It has been brought to the attention of the Parish Council that there have been a number of attacks by dogs on other dogs. This has happened where the Owner of the attacking dog has not had their dog under control.
To clarify the current position we must point out that it is against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control:
- in a public place
- in a private place where the dog isn’t allowed to be (e.g. a neighbour’s house or garden without permission)
The law applies to all dogs.
Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:
- injures someone
- makes someone worried that it might injure them
A court could also decide that your dog is dangerously out of control if:
- it injures someone’s animal
- the owner of the animal thinks they could be injured if they tried to stop your dog attacking their animal
A farmer is allowed to kill your dog if it’s worrying their livestock.
Penalties
You can be fined up to £5,000 and/or sent to prison for up to 6 months if your dog is out of control. You may also not be allowed to own a dog in the future. If you let your dog injure someone, you can be sent to prison for up to 2 years and/or fined. If you deliberately use your dog to injure someone you could be charged with ‘malicious wounding’. The maximum penalty is 5 years in prison.
Dog Control Orders
Local councils in England and Wales can issue Dog Control Orders (DCOs). These mean that in public areas with DCOs, you may have to:
- keep your dog on a lead
- put your dog on a lead if told to by a police officer, police community support officer or someone from the council
- stop your dog going in certain places - like farmland or parts of a park
- limit the number of dogs you have with you (this applies to professional dog walkers too)
- clear up after your dog
DCOs don’t apply to private land if you have permission from the landowner or person who controls the land.
Penalties
If you ignore a DCO, you can be fined:
- £50 on the spot (a ‘Fixed Penalty Notice’)
- up to £1,000 if it goes to court
You can’t be fined if you’re a registered blind dog owner.