Petition Call on coalition government to deliver effective solutions to irresponsible dog ownership

We call on the coalition government to bring forward a government Bill in the Queen’s Speech in 2012 that: consolidates and updates legislation concerning dog control; gives greater flexibility and discretion to enforcers and the courts; improves public safety and animal welfare; includes a genuine preventative effect; updates some offences; and reduces the costs of enforcement. In particular we believe: the scope of legislation must be extended to cover all places, both public and private; all dogs should be permanently identified; legislation must focus on the owner’s actions or omissions rather than the type of dog; amendments must be made to ensure better canine welfare with a clear strategy to regularly review and ultimately phase out breed specific legislation; sufficient funding streams are essential for effective enforcement at a local level; and education and engagement should go hand in hand with any changes in the law to encourage more responsible dog ownership.