Home | News | All dogs to be insured in proposals on dangerous breeds

Bookmark and Share


09 March 2010

All dogs to be insured in proposals on dangerous breeds

Gangs are using dangerous dogs as status symbols

All dogs to be insured in proposals on dangerous breeds
Every dog owner in the UK would have to take out insurance against their pet attacking someone under government proposals to tackle dangerous breeds.
Police and local councils could also get new powers to force the owners of dangerous dogs to muzzle them or even get them neutered.
Ministers say they are responding to public concern about vicious dogs being used to intimidate or threaten people.
Each week, more than 100 people are admitted to hospital after dog attacks.
There has also been a reported rise in levels of dog fighting and illegal ownership, particularly by gangs who are using dangerous dogs as status symbols.
The government wants to amend the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, under which four types of dogs - the pit bull terrier, the Japanese tosa, the dogo Argentinos and the fila brasileiros - are banned.
It wants to tweak the law so that the breeds are banned from people's homes - rather than simply from public property, as is currently the case.
'Fundamental right'
It is argued that this will also protect postal workers, telecoms engineers and other people whose work often takes them onto private land.
Another proposal is to introduce compulsory third-party insurance for dog owners to ensure victims of attacks are compensated.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: "Britain is a nation of animal lovers, but people have a fundamental right to feel safe on the streets and in their homes.
"The vast majority of dog owners are responsible, but there is no doubt that some people breed and keep dogs for the soul purpose of intimidating others, in a sense using dogs as a weapon.BBCnews



Sign in ideadY®

Log in

Forgot Password?

Why get an ideadY® account?

Simple, since you can:

Bookmark and Share