A licensing team has been given until 13 November to respond after being urged to take a ‘more proactive approach’ following a fatal dog attack.

An inquest recently concluded that two-year-old Lawson Bond died as a result of ‘misadventure’ after he was attacked by a Rottweiler kept by his grandmother Maria Bond, who had been running a business breeding and selling puppies without a licence.

The inquest heard the ‘intelligence-led’ licensing team at Worcestershire Regulatory Services only acted on information received or complaints made and did not regularly search websites and social media.

A report to Wychavon DC chief executive Vic Allison from coroner David Reid said it was ‘concerning that Worcestershire Regulatory Services did not ‘take a more proactive approach’ and warned there was a ‘risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken’.

Mr Reid wrote: ‘I am concerned that unless regulatory services within Wychavon DC take action, there will remain a risk that unscrupulous unlicensed breeders will continue to offer puppies and dogs for sale within the Wychavon area, which present a heightened risk of danger to those who buy them and who come into contact with them.’

Simon Wilkes, head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services, which runs licensing services on behalf of Wychavon, said it and other local authorities were ‘pushing to make animal breeding guidance more enforceable’.

This article was originally published by The MJ (£).