Welsh dog control bill suspended
The Welsh government has announced that planned changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 have been suspended.
The Control of Dogs (Wales) Bill would have extended the law to include dog attacks on private property, making it an offence for owners to allow their dog to be dangerously out of control on private premises.
Instead, the Welsh government will be collaborating with Westminster on unified legislation to address the issue of dangerous dogs.
The Kennel Club has pledged to work with both governments in the enactment of any legislation, supporting the view that public education is needed alongside legislation. The charity will be meeting with the home office later in the month to continue working toward developing the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill.
Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko said: “We recognise and fully support the benefits of UK-wide legislation to aid with continuity and to further public understanding and compliance.”
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has expressed disappointment in the suspension of legal changes, fearing a shift away from preventative approaches.
President of the association, Peter Jones, said: "We fear that the move to align the Welsh Government legislation with English legislation may be less effective in controlling irresponsible dog ownership. Antisocial behaviour legislation tends to be reactive rather than preventive.
"We hope that the Welsh Government can find a way to maintain a greater degree of prevention that doesn’t appear to be present in the Westminster proposals. The BVA has been calling for the introduction of measures, such as Dog Control Notices, to identify problem behaviour before it becomes a serious issue."
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
