Charities criticise Dangerous Dogs Act on 35th anniversary
The charities have called for a holistic approach which promotes responsible dog ownership.
The RSPCA and Dogs Trust have jointly called for a more behaviour-focused approach to dog control problems, as they launch their new Dog Ownership Guide.
The charities have said that the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which marks its 35th anniversary this week, is letting down people and dogs.
Samantha Gaines, RSPCA dog welfare expert, described the Dangerous Dogs Act as ‘poorly thought-out’, stating it had ‘failed to achieve any of its objectives’. She said that the legislation was not protecting public safety and hadn’t reduced dog bites.
According to the RSPCA, the number of incidents of dog-related injuries requiring hospital treatment had risen since the DDA has been in place. It reports that these cases typically rise year-on-year.
Dr Gaines said: “It is a particularly controversial piece of legislation because it also prohibits the keeping of five specific types of dogs, based on their appearance, despite evidence showing that breed is not a good predictor of aggressive behaviour.
“It is deeply concerning that 35 years on, and with the wealth of knowledge we have around dog behaviour, dog control legislation is still failing to reduce the number of dog-related incidents. Ultimately, this approach is not working; and we need a new approach that puts responsible ownership at the heart of everything”
The charity cites research commissioned by Defra in 2019, which saw recommendations made to promote responsible dog ownership. It is now calling on the UK government to publish report and shift its response to dog control.
The RSPCA has recently collaborated with Dogs Trust to produce the Dog Ownership Guide, which they believe will prevent situations that will lead to bites from arising.
The guide recommends a holistic approach to dog control, with a focus on better breeding, better education for children and support for owners to act more responsibly. It suggests that owners, enforcement agencies, veterinary teams, rescue charities and local authorities could work together to improve dog ownership.
Ruairidh Nichols, Public Affairs Manager from Dogs Trust, said: “We believe that the Dog Ownership Guide helps owners to better understand what being responsible looks like and how the decisions they make can help shape their pet into a happy, healthy dog, while reducing the likelihood of problem behaviours developing.”
The Dog Ownership Guide can be accessed here.
Image © RSPCA
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
