Justin Tomlinson MP with his dog Megan
Justin Tomlinson MP today met with the Kennel Club in Parliament to discuss the Club’s campaigns to protect dogs.
Current attention is focused on achieving reform to the Dangerous Dogs Act. Under the Act, certain breeds of dog are banned and owners commit a criminal offence by allowing their dog, of any breed, to be dangerously out of control in a public place. Dangerously out of control is regarded as being a dog that has injured someone or a dog that a person has reasonable grounds to believe will injure someone.
The issue with the current legislation is that it makes the assumption that it is the breed that generally makes a dog dangerous, ignoring that a dog’s behaviour is more influenced by its environment, training and the responsibility of its owner.
Justin Tomlinson MP said “I have seen through my own casework the distress and injury caused when pets or the public are attacked by out of control dogs. The current legislation is clearly not working as it should to protect the public. It is important that we tackle this issue and target these irresponsible owners whose dogs pose such a danger.”
The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss moves to ban the use of electric shock collars to train dogs, the importance of compulsory microchipping to protect dog welfare and ensuring that owners have access to public land.
You can find out more about any of these campaigns at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/kccampaigns
