Closed petition Hold public consultation on Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act

Closed on 16 April 2024

We want the Government to hold a proper public consultation on Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act. We want the consultation to consider if this part of the legislation is fit for purpose and if it does help to reduce dog attacks.

We believe that Section 1 does not reduce bites or fatalities. It only applies to dogs that are deemed to be dangerous by looks alone, which we don't think this is a good predictor of dog aggression. Section 1 does not tackle the issue of irresponsible owners. We fear that if more breeds are added to this legislation those who seek to weaponize dogs, will create further cross breeds and therefore ‘types’ that will be exploited. These underlying issues are not addressed by section 1.