Law On Dog Attack?

[Suerose]

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I've come back from our walk worried and annoyed because for about the fifth time another regular walker's collie bitch has tried to take a lump out of Grace. She is one a pair, brother and sister, walked by a rather elderly woman who doesn't keep them under close control. In fact she didn't even have leads with her!!! The collie bitch does the classic herding thing of rushing in and trying to nip, and it is hard to even know she is around sometimes because she travels so far and so fast. This time she was within about an inch of sinking her teeth in before she was shouted at. Not happy!

Does anyone know whether the police can or will do anything in this situation, or does actual damage have to have occurred? I have this woman's car registration so she could be easily traced by them. I said quite a lot myself myself (as you can imagine) but it is the second time I've done so and I'm not sure how much notice she is taking. If I'd seen her coming (the dog, not the woman) my boot would have been involved.

 

[Dar Khan]

I've come back from our walk worried and annoyed because for about the fifth time another regular walker's collie bitch has tried to take a lump out of Grace. She is one a pair, brother and sister, walked by a rather elderly woman who doesn't keep them under close control. In fact she didn't even have leads with her!!! The collie bitch does the classic herding thing of rushing in and trying to nip, and it is hard to even know she is around sometimes because she travels so far and so fast. This time she was within about an inch of sinking her teeth in before she was shouted at. Not happy!
Does anyone know whether the police can or will do anything in this situation, or does actual damage have to have occurred? I have this woman's car registration so she could be easily traced by them. I said quite a lot myself myself (as you can imagine) but it is the second time I've done so and I'm not sure how much notice she is taking. If I'd seen her coming (the dog, not the woman) my boot would have been involved.

Report any incident such as this to the dog warden !

 

[T Hoare]

As far as I'm aware...the police will do nothing if it's dog on dog??....if a child was involved or I think an adult it is a different matter.

 

[pat cope]

Nothing will be done, as police say it is 'dog on dog' as they call it. Not a criminal offence unless the offending

dog actually bites a human.

I have been in this position. Posted here under Midas Mastiff attack .

Only advice I can give is if the dogs come after yours stand in front of your dog, and if it bites you then you

can do something about it.

Hope you are o.k. xx

 

[Suerose]

I've come back from our walk worried and annoyed because for about the fifth time another regular walker's collie bitch has tried to take a lump out of Grace. She is one a pair, brother and sister, walked by a rather elderly woman who doesn't keep them under close control. In fact she didn't even have leads with her!!! The collie bitch does the classic herding thing of rushing in and trying to nip, and it is hard to even know she is around sometimes because she travels so far and so fast. This time she was within about an inch of sinking her teeth in before she was shouted at. Not happy!
Does anyone know whether the police can or will do anything in this situation, or does actual damage have to have occurred? I have this woman's car registration so she could be easily traced by them. I said quite a lot myself myself (as you can imagine) but it is the second time I've done so and I'm not sure how much notice she is taking. If I'd seen her coming (the dog, not the woman) my boot would have been involved.

Report any incident such as this to the dog warden !

Thanks, have had a look on the web and will be ringing the Dog Warden on Monday morning. Just hope they will have a firm word with this woman. The previous time her bitch had a go at Grace she wasn't even in the field with her dogs - still faffing around in the car park but had let the dogs into the field. Unbelievable!

 

[bertha]

All dogs are supposed to be under control in public places and have a collar and ID tag. It is against the law to have a dog out of control. But, unless you feel the dogs is about to attack you or threatens you the police won't do anything.

She needs reporting to the dog warden who, if he/she is any good will tell her to keep her dogs under control. Having no lead means there is no control. It is such a grey area and one that really needs sorting out.

 

[Janimal]

have to agree withe most other people on this subject...the police wont do a thing when its dog onto dog...

my old whippet was badly atttacked by a staffy cross dog in 2000, the police just said no-one had been hurt so

they wouldnt do anything !!!!! Anyway the owner agreed to having his dog pts...because the attack was such a vicious one, and as the dog in question

had been dumped and taken in by him, agreed he didnt know the dogs background or history.

The dog warden is your best bet... :thumbsup:

 

[jok]

Well you're all wrong.

It's nothing to do with what the dog has attacked (human, other dog, anything else). It's about whether a dog is dangerously out of control in a public place.

It will depend on where you live as to what Police response you get but round here we often get called (and attend) such incidents.

A local CSO should be happy to attend this sort of thing and offer words of advice to the owner - which in reality is what's appropriate in this case

 

[Finleyfoofoo]

HI,

I had a dog attacked 7 years ago,who had to be put to sleep.

The police were no help,but they said if it had bitten me,it becomes a police matter.

I reported to my local dog warden,who took the owners to court,with my dog,biiten 36 times, and me as evidence.

They owner was bound over under the control of dangerous dogs act,and it now has to wear

a muzzle and be on a lead at all times in a public place.

I still see the dog,which is very distressing for me.But this does go to show,that even so called dog on dog attacks,

with help of the dog warden,justice can be done.

Amanda.x

 

[FeeFee]

In practice 'Dangerously out of control' is interpreted as dangerous to people, not to other dogs. However if you have good reason to think that you might have been in danger (eg of getting bitten while defending your dog) that may be enough to get the police to take action.

Most complaints about dogs come under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, but there are other laws (eg the Dogs Act 1871) which can apply and which have broader scope and may require a lower standard of proof. Often the police aren't particularly well up on laws relating to dogs so don't always look beyond the DDA.

There's a good summary of some of the laws relating to dogs here:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/dangerous/#3

 

[hippohead]

Surely things like this can be interpreted as 'anti social behaviour' and as such be dealt with under the same rules. personally I would say that you felt intimidated by 'said dog'. It really winds me up when people dont control their dogs (boistrous dogs).

 

[Dotty&Duke]

Poor Grace, well and you sue. I agree with what others have said but maybe get a photo if you can of this womans dog off lead then maybe the police will do her for not being in control of her dog. i also agree with what somebody else said, 'say you thought the dog was going to bite you', I recon if it had a go at Grace and you tried to remove it theres probably a fair chance it would bite. Npt very nice for either of you though fingers crossed it doesn't happen again :luck: