This Council notes the UK legislative changes brought forward via the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (ASBCP Act) and the consequent amendments to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and welcomes the fact that it is now an offence to own or be in charge of a dog that is dangerously out of control in any place, including all private property.
In particular, this Council supports the extending of the law to cover attacks on assistance dogs when one in ten assistance dogs are attacked every year in Wales.
However, the Council regrets that the draft Control of Dogs Bill was withdrawn by the Welsh Government in 2013 in the belief that the ASBCP Act would bring in Dog ControlNotices (DCNs) because despite lobbying by manyorganisations, Cardiff Councillors, AM’s, MP’s and Peers these Dog Control Notices were not implemented in the Act.
This Council therefore calls upon the Welsh Government to recognise widespread concerns about the education and awareness of responsible dog ownership in Wales (including those in the Environmental & CASSC Scrutiny Report on the Control of Dangerous Dogs in Cardiff) and bring forward legislation to implement Dog Control Notices in Wales as soon as is practicable after reviewing all the other instruments, lessons and good practices currently to be found in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Proposed by: Councillor Dilwar Ali
Seconded by: Councillor Mitchell