Councils and police forces will be able to exercise new powers to prevent dog attacks from next week.
Changes brought in by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 mean dog owners can now be fined up to £20,000 if they fail to take action following a complaint about their animal.
It allows local authorities and police to call on owners to attend dog training classes, muzzle their dog or ensure it is on a lead in public places and have their pet microchipped or neutered. Other actions can include ensuring fences at home are sufficient to prevent their dogs from escaping.
Animal welfare minister Lord de Mauley said: ‘Dog attacks are devastating for victims and their families, which is why we are taking tough action against those who allow them to happen.
‘Police and local authorities will now have more powers to demand that irresponsible dog owners take steps to prevent attacks before they occur. This is on top of the tougher prison sentences we introduced earlier this year for owners who allow their dogs to attack people and assistance dogs.’
A practitioners’ manual has been published to give police and council officers guidance on how to implement the changes – including early preventative measures such as community protection notices – to help prevent more serious events occurring in the future.
