Scotland: Will the move for dog 'Asbos' be just another barking idea?

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Laura Cummings: Will the move for dog 'Asbos' be just another barking idea?

Published Date: 28 January 2010
By Laura Cummings

IT IS a plan that some would argue is, quite simply, barking mad. The controversial proposal to introduce "dog Asbos" that would allow councils to fine dog owners who failed to control their pets has sparked heated debate and divided opinion.


But the scheme has already won the backing of an influential Holyrood committee, with the country's animal welfare charity also in favour

This week, MSPs on the Scottish Parliament's local government committee agreed that animal antisocial behavi


our orders – or dog control notices to give them their proper title – could improve the behaviour of both animals and their owners.

The committee had been considering a member's Bill from Christine Grahame, the South of Scotland Nationalist MSP, which calls for such a move.

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn is one who would welcome the measures.

"The dog control notices are a big improvement on what's there at the moment. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is a fundamentally flawed piece of legislation. It doesn't allow the enforcers to do anything until the dog has actually done damage – the police have got to wait until somebody is badly injured. These dog control notices are supposed to stop that happening, so there's the potential there to prevent.

"If the notices can prevent one tragic accident then it's all been worthwhile."

The dog control notices would allow councils to move in on dog owners if their pets displayed poor behaviour, which need not necessarily be classed as dangerous.

Pet owners could be forced to keep their dog on a lead in public, have the animal neutered, attend dog-control training courses and face fines of up to £1,000 if they failed to comply.

Mr Flynn added: "The main reason we support it is because every dog owner must be responsible. Every dog has got the ability to cause damage and every owner should realise that and be responsible.

"It is not a 'demonise all dogs' Bill, it will allow authorities to step in where people have got genuine concerns, and it should only be where a dog is deemed to be a danger to the public.

"Current legislation focuses on the breed of a dog, which does not necessarily predetermine aggression. Every time there is a bad attack by a dog it demonises that breed, whether it's a bulldog breed or a collie breed.

"But the new Bill is based on the deed of the dog, rather than the breed, and if it can protect breeds that keep getting demonised then all the better."

However, doubts have been raised over whether councils would have enough cash to implement the plan. Papers lodged with the Control of Dogs Bill estimated a total cost to councils of issuing dog control notices to be just over £4,000 a year, but MSPs and the Scottish Government had cautioned that the estimates "may be on the low side".

The Duchess of Hamilton, Kay Hamilton, who is chairwoman of the Scottish Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue charity, also has her doubts – labelling the dog Asbos "nonsense".

She explains: "I just think the dog Asbos are a lot of rubbish – it's closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. The Asbo comes after the dog has misbehaved and it won't lower the number of dogs around. We need to limit the breeding of all dogs.

"The Asbos would be better than nothing but they're not the answer."

She also believes dog licences should be re-introduced instead, with owners paying around £15-£20 a year for the privilege of keeping their pet.

She adds: "If the person's dog is misbehaving and they don't have a licence, the dog can be removed. If they don't turn up with a licence within seven days, their dog would go up for rehoming, and if the dog doesn't get rehomed it will have to be destroyed. I hate that thought but sadly there are too many dogs and too many bad owners."

Over the past decade, the number of attacks by dogs in Scotland has risen from 239 to 623.

Last Hallowe'en an eight-year-old boy, who had been shopping for a pumpkin with his mother, was attacked by a Rottweiler outside a supermarket in West Granton, leaving him hospitalised for two days.

Five months earlier in May 2009, a five-year-old boy was playing just outside his home in Easthouses, Dalkeith, when he was attacked by a Border Lakeland terrier which had escaped from a nearby garden and tore a gaping wound in his right cheek and lip.

The boy underwent three delicate plastic surgery operations over five days at Edinburgh's Sick Kids Hospital. Surgeons were forced to insert 34 stitches in his face as they repaired the damage.

It is exactly such incidents which have led to the clamour of support for dog Asbos, including from the city council who say they would "welcome" the measure. That in itself has sparked a note of caution.

Mr Flynn added: "The local authorities would be enforcing it and they would have to be trained to a level where they could tell the difference between an aggressive and a boisterous dog.

"A collie that has not been out of the house for a while will run round the garden at 60mph, and some people would say that's boisterous and others would say it's aggressive – it is how you interpret it."

http://news. scotsman. com/opinion/ Laura-Cummings- Will-the- move.6021836. jp

---------- Post added at 09:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:40 AM ----------

Dog Asbos to keep pets and their owners on tight leash
Published Date: 11 February 2010
By David Maddox

A BILL which would introduce dog Asbos to Scotland was backed unanimously by MSPs yesterday as it passed its first hurdle in parliament.



The new bill will replace the current Dangerous Dogs Act which MSPs agreed is flawed because it criminalises the breed and not the individual dog or owner.

It was put forward by Nationalist MSP Christine Grahame who is hoping to change the law on the control of dogs to try to curb irresponsible owners.

The dog-control notices, dubbed "dog Asbos", would allow councils to impose restrictions on owners who do not control their pets. Action would also be taken against owners if their pet is dangerously out of control in any place, including their home.

Ms Grahame told MSPs: "Currently if a child is attacked in the dog's home, where it is permitted to be, the owner cannot be held legally responsible unless the dog is of a banned breed. Clearly this is wrong."

Ms Grahame told MSPs her proposals are not intended to penalise responsible dog owners but said there is a "growing problem" with irresponsible owners, adding that about 600 dog attacks are now reported every year which is more than double the figure from ten years ago.

She received support for her bill from the Scottish Government and MSPs from around the chamber.

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "There is a gap in the law that I think we recognise has to be addressed. Currently, a dog owner is only liable if their dog is dangerously out of control in a public place.

"We think it is right dog owners are held accountable for their dogs both in public and private, and we welcome this change."

He went on: "We believe the creation of a dog-control notice regime will help encourage dog owners to take responsibility for the actions of their dogs."

He said there is "poverty of information" about the number of dangerous dogs in Scotland but said he did not expect "thousands and thousands" of orders.

Tory MSP David McLetchie added that particular breeds may have been banned or may have even died out in this country but there are still many crossbred dogs bred and trained to exhibit aggressive behaviour which will cause alarm to the public and a threat to public safety.

"For those who take a perverse delight in intimidating their neighbours or engaging in gang conflict or strutting their stuff in the hood, a powerful dog is both a fashion accessory and a weapon," he said. "In many cases it is the dog owners who are a good deal more dangerous than the dogs."

Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Pringle MSP said the bill will help modernise laws dating to 1871.

Meanwhile, Duncan McNeil, the convener of the local government committee which supports the bill, told MSPs: "A dog becomes dangerous, it is not born that way. The bill is about prevention and seeking to influence the behaviour of the dog owner in order to improve the behaviour of the dog."

http://news. scotsman. com/odd/Dog- Asbos-to- keep-pets. 6062132.jp

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Vets call for 'dog Asbos' to control dangerous animals
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:01 AM on 17th February 2010
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'Dog Absos' should be introduced across Britain in order to keep aggressive pets under control, according to the British Veterinary Association.

Under the plan, specific dangerous dogs and their owners would be targetted with anti-social behaviour orders in the same way as individuals are.


Councils would be able to issue restrictions on dog owners who did not control their pets, forcing them to control the dog using a muzzle, a leash or by having them neutered.

Breeds such as pit bull terrier dogs have been banned in the UK but vets want measures to control dangerous dogs taken further


Those that failed to do so could face a hefty fine.

Association president Professor Bill Reilly said current controls banning certain breeds, such as put bull terriers, were failing to protect people from dangerous animals.

'It's all about giving local authorities the power to control these dogs,' he told the association' s annual dinner.

He called on the Government to introduce laws so councils could control dangerous dogs 'by deed not breed.'

'With concern about weapon dogs rising and a new Parliament on the horizon looking for fresh ideas, the time is surely right ofr it to be at the top of the political agenda,' he said.

Attacks by dogs have doubled over the past ten years to 600 a year.


Scottish Parliament is currently considering introducing 'dog control notice' laws.


The Control of Dogs Bill would allow councils to impose restrictions on irresponsible owners and fines of up to £1,000, even if the dog misbehaves at home.

MSPs have backed the idea in principle, allowing it to progress to the next stage of scrutiny at Holyrood.



Read more: http://www.dailymai l.co.uk/news/ article-1251625/ Vets-dog- Asbos-control- dangerous- animals.html# ixzz0fmk2WAT2

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MSPs set to approve 'dog Asbos'
(UKPA) – 7 hours ago


New legislation to bring in "dog Asbos" is likely to be approved by MSPs.

The Scottish Parliament is to vote on proposals from Nationalist MSP Christine Grahame, who wants to change the law on the control of dogs to try to curb irresponsible owners.

Her member's Bill proposes to bring in dog control notices, dubbed "dog Asbos", which will allow councils to impose restrictions on owners who do not control their pets.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukp...7NSLN0Yooho-SQ

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‘Dog asbos’ forecast to improve safety in community
New laws will make owners take responsibility for actions of their pets
By Katrine Bussey and Lucy Collins

Published: 23/04/2010


New legislation bringing in “dog asbos” will help improve community safety, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said yesterday.

He spoke out as Holyrood approved the new laws, which will allow councils to impose dog control notices – dubbed “dog asbos” – on owners who do not control their pets.

MSPs unanimously approved the measures in the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill. The legislation has been taken through Holyrood as a Member’s Bill by SNP backbencher Christine Grahame.

Mr MacAskill said the legislation was designed to identify out-of-control dogs at an early stage and “provide measures to change their behaviour and the behaviour of their owner before the dog becomes dangerous”.

The justice secretary said the dog-control notices would “help encourage dog owners to take responsibility for the actions of their dogs”.

Mr MacAskill also welcomed the change in the law which will allow dog owners to be held responsible if their animal behaves in a dangerous manner in their own home.

The justice secretary stated: “We believe, as a government, that the law should be extended so that it will be an offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control in any place – whether this is a public place or a private place such as the dog’s home.

“We believe such a change will help ensure dog owners take responsibility for the action of their dogs in all places at all times.”

Ms Grahame explained why the new laws were needed, saying: “It is clear that the problem of out-of-control and dangerous dogs is growing across the United Kingdom.

“Scotland is consistently seeing around 600 reported dog attacks each year – more than double the figure 10 years ago. Hospitals in 2007-08 treated 363 people who had been bitten or struck by a dog.”

She said the bill aimed to promote responsible dog ownership, adding: “Local authorities will have the power to serve dog control notices on owners who do not keep their dogs under control.”

Ms Grahame also explained why her bill extended the offence of allowing a dog to be dangerously out-of-control to apply to all places.

Ms Grahame said: “The horror reports of children and infants savaged to death have more often than not occurred in a private dwelling where the dog was permitted to be, a relative’s house, for example.”

Labour’s Michael McMahon – who revealed he needed hospital treatment three times for dog bites – said councils had “genuine concerns” about the financial impact of the legislation.

He stated: “When we’re losing teachers, social workers, home care workers and other necessary frontline staff, it stretches credulity to believe that dog wardens and other associated costs are going to be immune from the cost pressures afflicting other essential services.”

Tory MSP David McLetchie said the bill was a worthwhile piece of legislation which recognised the deficiencies in earlier laws.

Liberal Democrat MSP Jim Tolson warned irresponsible dog owners that legislation “is coming in to bite them”.

Read more: http://www.pressand journal.co. uk/Article. aspx/1703988? UserKey=# ixzz0lvE4AFhj

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Dogs Trust: More needs to be done on deed-not-breed mentality
Dog rescue organisation Dogs Trust has hailed the stage three passage of the control of dogs (Scotland) bill through the country's parliament as an "excellent start".

The attitude the would-be Act has toward the deed-not-breed mentality - in other words, placing the onus of poor or violent behaviour by canines squarely on the shoulders of the owners rather than blaming it on the breed of dog - is one more governments should be taking up, staff at the pet health care charity opined.

However, they commented they were disappointed the bill does not demand a complete repeal of the Breed Specific Legislation, which does just that.

Chief executive of Dogs Trust, Clarissa Baldwin, said the fact demonstrated that more work needs to be done on the issue.

"[We want] to see the next UK Government introducing the compulsory microchipping of dogs [and] taking action to address the worrying trend in bull-breed type dogs in urban areas," she added.

The charity currently cares for over 16,000 abandoned and unwanted pooches.

Animal Friends Insurance Services are an ethical pet insurance company. We have been supporting animal welfare charities around the world since 1999 by donating all net profits to their causes.

http://www.animalfriends.org.uk/anim..._19745756.html