01/03/2010 Test, insurance and microchips

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Alleged leaked proposals from the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), show that the government is looking at new ways in which to engage with dog owners and come up with a new system to combat dangerous dogs in the community.

Animal charities say they are pleased that after 20 years of working with the Dangerous Dogs Act, there could be a better way of combating a growing problem amongst irresponsible dog owners who allow and often encourage dogs to fight and therefore pose a problem to both humans and other animals. However, the Dogs Trust said it would be a better idea if a “competency test” was not part of the new proposals as you could not guarantee that the person taking the test was the owner and it would prohibit the older owner and those who may not fully understand the test but are capable of responsible ownership. The RSPCA said that it should be a legal requirement that dogs are micro chipped anyway.

The latest figures released show that the number of prosecutions against owners of dangerous dogs increased from 547 in 2004 to 703 in 2007. The proposals include the requirement of a micro chip for each dog, the possibility that each owner will require third party insurance in case of injuries to others and a “competency test” to prove dog owners’ ability to properly care for their dogs under all circumstances.

The officials drawing up the proposals however are faced with the prospect of only the conscientious owners fully taking part in the scheme and leaving the worst offenders unworried about implementing the scheme. The other worry is the cost of participation for dog owners. The cost may be met by charging dog owners for taking the test and re introducing a dog licence.

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