The RSPCA has concerns about a number of dog-related issues from stray population managment, to an increased ownership of status and dangerous dogs, and dog overpopulation in the UK.
Do Government proposals have sufficient 'bite'?
On 23rd April Defra announced a set of proposals aimed at tackling irresponsible dog ownership. However the RSPCA is extremely concerned that these proposals will do little to protect public safety and improve animal welfare. Furthermore, there are no preventative measures to stop these tragic incidents from occuring. Extending the law to cover private property is a step in the right direction however the microchipping and dog welfare proposals appear unclear and we do not believe will have a significant impact on irresponsible dog ownership.
We will be studying the consultation documents carefully over the next few days but please see our initial responses to the proposals below.
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Following the last general election the coalition government stated that it would, “...promote responsible pet ownership by introducing effective codes of practice under the Animal Welfare Act, and will ensure that enforcement agencies target irresponsible owners of dangerous dogs.”[1] This commitment was reaffirmed by the Secretary of State for Defra, the Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP on 27 May 2010[2]. The public consultation on proposals for dog control legislation closed in June 2010 and Defra received 4,500 responses. However the government has yet to respond to this by setting out its intentions although it has published a summary of the responses[3].
A further debate on this issue was held on Wednesday 19th October 2011 in Westminster Hall. Again the issues of better protection for people, animals as well as the costs of enforcement were raised. The government is expected to make an announcement on its proposals in the next couple of months.
The RSPCA believes that irresponsible dog ownership is a significant problem for many communities. The costs to the taxpayer for this could run to nearly £77 million pounds per year. The RSPCA believes this is unsustainable, especially in light of the spending cuts following the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), and that a more effective strategy should be developed.
Status[4] and dangerous dogs appear to be an increasing problem for inner-city areas and are often associated with social deprivation, as well as crime and anti-social behaviour. Straying dogs are another area of concern for the RSPCA and comprise another aspect of irresponsible dog ownership. For further information about stray dogs, see the local authority pages on this website. However, the bulk of the problems concern plain irresponsible or ignorant ownership of dogs and this is a central area that needs attention from government.
The Welsh Government has indicated that it is likely to legislate on this issue as well so the RSPCA is working closely with both governments to ensure improvements are made in both countries. See also the Welsh pages on this website.
The RSPCA believes this issue needs to be considered at both a practical and policy level, and that solutions be developed that are more sustainable in the long-term.
- It is essential that local authorities, police, registered social landlords, youth offending teams, the RSPCA and others work closely together in partnership to develop practical programmes that educate owners about responsible dog ownership and take enforcement action under the current law where necessary. (See also the local authority page.)
- It is also important that the current dog control law is consolidated and updated so that it has a genuine preventative effect and allows local authorities and the police to intervene at a much earlier stage to prevent future tragedies keep the costs of enforcement to a minimum. The government should include such a Bill in the Queen's Speech in 2012.
- Finally, the RSPCA believes that dog licensing should be seriously considered as a mechanism for ensuring long-term funding for local services, such as the dog warden service so that education and enforcement can be carried out consistently and effectively.
For further information about all these issues please take a look at the attached briefings and information.
RSPCA general response to Defra proposals (Apr 2012)
RSPCA response to private property (Apr 2012)
RSPCA response to welfare of dogs (Apr 2012)
RSPCA response to compulsory microchipping (Apr 2012)
Enforcement agencies' briefing (Jan 2012)
RSPCA pet animal Indicators: Irreponsible dog ownership
RSPCA pet animal indicators: microchiping
RSPCA pet animal indicators: unwanted animals
Action: Please write to the new Minister, the Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE, setting out your concerns.