Dogs and the law

You should be aware of the law regarding dog ownership and your responsibilities.

Your legal responsibilities as a dog owner are:

• do not allow your dog to stray
• ensure your dog wears a collar with an identity tag bearing your name and address while in a public place
• keep your dog on a lead on all roads
• ensure your dog does not cause a nuisance to your neighbours by barking
• keep your dog under control at all times
• pick up your dog's faeces and dispose of it in the bin
• be aware of local byelaws within the parks - do not walk your dog in the "no dog areas" of the park.

Animal Welfare Act 2006

The Pet Welfare Act 2006 requires you to meet the care needs of your pets.

You must provide:

• a good home
• a healthy diet
• a suitable environment in which they can behave naturally
• appropriate company of other animals
• protection from pain, injury, suffering and disease.

The act increases and introduces new penalties to tackle cruelty, neglect, mutilation, tail docking and animal fighting.

A number of activities associated with animal fights and betting on and videoing animal fights have become offences for the first time.

The act has increased the minimum age at which a person can buy an animal to 16 years old. It prohibits giving animals as prizes to unaccompanied children under 16 years old.

Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its needs, may be banned from owning animals, fined up to £20,000, or sent to prison.

Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005

The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 gives local authorities responsibility for stray dogs. Dog wardens and animal welfare officers have a duty to seize stray dogs within the borough.

Control of Dogs Order 1992

The Control of Dogs Order 1992 requires every dog while on a highway or in a public place to wear a collar with the name and address of the owner inscribed on it or on an attached plate or badge. You are also advised to include your telephone number.

Public place means any street, road or other which the public have access to, whether or not by payment. This includes the common parts of a building containing two or more separate homes.

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 bans anyone from owning, or being in charge of specific types of dogs bred for fighting, such as the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero.

The act also allows restrictions on other types of dogs which are a serious danger to the public. It is a criminal offence for the owner or the person in charge of the dog to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place. A dog that is dangerously out of control doesn't necessarily have to have bitten someone. A dog chasing, barking or jumping up may lead someone to believe that the dog will injure them.

If your dog injures a person, it may be seized by the police and you may have to be fined. In such cases the dog will usually be destroyed.

Dogs Act 1871

The Dogs Act 1871 allows anyone to make a complaint to a magistrate's court that a dog is dangerous, or to report the matter to the police. If the court is satisfied that a dog is dangerous and not under proper control, it can order the dog to be controlled or destroyed. It is an offence for any dog not to be kept under control, not kept on a lead or muzzled. This applies where the incident happened, including on private land, and it protects trades people such as postal workers, who are regularly at risk from dogs.

The act is not commonly known, so if you want to make a complaint using the legislation it may help to mention the act to police officers.

Dogs (protection of Livestock) Act 1953

Anyone owning or in charge of a dog, must not allow it to chase or attack livestock, for example cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses and poultry. It could cause injury or distress, or abortion or harm to pregnant animals and their young. Dogs must be kept on a lead when walking near or around livestock.

Animal Act 1971

The owner or person in control of a dog that causes damage by killing or injuring livestock is liable for any damage, if he knows it was likely to cause such damage or injury.

The Road Traffic Act 1988

Anyone who allows a dog to be on a Lambeth road without a lead is committing an offence under the act.

Dogs travelling in vehicles should not be a nuisance or distract the driver during a journey and should be suitably restrained.
If a dog is injured in a road traffic accident, the driver must stop and give their details to the person in charge of the dog. If there is no person in charge of the dog, the incident must be reported to the police within 24 hours.

Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999

The act prohibits bitches from being mated until they are at least one year old. Bitches should produce no more than six litters in a lifetime and no more than one litter a year. Puppies may not be sold until they are eight weeks old. Accurate breeding records must be kept on the sale of dogs. The act introduces stiffer penalties including imprisonment.