Closed petition: Reform the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) 1991: keep the public safe

Closed on 20 June 2025

We urge the Government to reform the DDA 1991. Whilst S3 applies to all breeds, we believe it's discriminatory due to the existence of S1 which targets specific types based on appearance. We want this replaced with a behaviour-based approach, and to prioritise education for safety and fairness.

We believe the DDA 1991 is flawed, and that both S1 and S3 are discriminatory. We think the former unfairly bans certain dogs based on looks, not behaviour, which can create stigma that we believe may affect enforcement of the latter. Some research suggests bans don’t reduce attacks. bans also do not address what we see as the underlying issues of aggression for all dogs: poor ownership and training. We believe we need fair, behaviour-focused laws with strong enforcement and public education.