With dangerous dogs and related incidents increasing, find out how we're tackling this problem.
Dealing with dangerous dogs
Addressing the proliferation of weapon dogs in London is a key priority for the Mayor as part of his pledge to reduce crime and make London safer for all. The key concern is the use of dogs in gang fights and criminal activity, such as dog fighting and illegal breeding, as well as broader animal welfare issues such as attacks on family pets by dangerous dogs.
What are we doing?
Tackling the problem of dangerous dogs is one of our priorities. Deputy Mayor for Policing Kit Malthouse launched a petition, which he presented to Downing Street on 31 May 2011, calling on the government to take action to deal with the problem of dangerous dogs.
We have been actively lobbying the government and would like to see
- an increase in the penalty for owning a banned breed, to bring it more in line with carrying an offensive weapon
- the extension of the law to include private land, particularly to protect people who have to visit other people's homes as part of their work
- changes to the part of the law that allows well-behaved banned breeds to remain with their owners, so that the process is much quicker, making it better for the dog and saving the police money.
In March 2009, the Metropolitan Police launched a dedicated Status Dogs Unit to seize dogs, gather intelligence, respond to emergencies and provide expert help in identifying dangerous dogs.
Young people
We are also working on increasing awareness and understanding of the issue among young people, notably through the People With Dogs Project. We have been working with local authorities across London to encourage and help them improve their response to dangerous dogs. We also work with a range of partners from the animal welfare sector, as well as in housing, parks, education, police, crown prosecution service and trading standards. We recently produced the ‘Barking up the Right Tree’ leaflet to encourage responsible dog ownership. We have collated education information and services provided by animal welfare agencies, most of which are free for schools, youth groups etc. In March 2011 we held a workshop to promote these education programmes for young people.
Weapon Dogs and Young People education programme PDF
Londoners’ perceptions about dogs in parks
- 10% say they feel unsafe because of dangerous/nuisance dogs in local parks
- 39% said dogs under control/well behaved would make them feel safer in their local parks
- 43% of people think that dangerous dogs are a big problem in local parks
Damage to trees and parks
Owners allow dogs to strip bark, gnaw buttresses/exposed roots and rip branches that cause severe tree damage and can even kill trees. There is also a more alarming pattern of of status dogs being forced to hang on swings and tree branches to toughen them up and strengthen their grip. The London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) has identified a significant rise in tree damage. Jointly with the GLA guidance on management of this issue has been produced - see LTAO website.
A growing problem
There are four breeds identified in the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act (s.1) which have been banned in the UK: Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentinos and Fila Brasileiros.
But a stray of any breed or a dog that is in the hands of an irresponsible owner can be a dangerous dog. If it is out of control and behaving threateningly in public or is being used by owners to intimidate people, it's a dangerous dog and the owner can be prosecuted.
