EVERY DOG owner could be made to take a ‘competency test’, under new plans being considered by the Government.
In a leaked document prepared by DEFRA, the daily papers this week also suggested that owners could be forced to have their dogs microchipped, and may have take out third party insurance in case of biting incidents, in a bid to bring more control over alleged dangerous dogs.
The leak suggested the ‘competency test’ would force dog owners to prove they had the skills to handle their animals. The confidential document stated that there had been ‘suggestions for a competency test for all or some dog owners, akin to the driving theory test.’ The document also warned that the cost of establishing such a scheme was likely to be prohibitive, and would either have to be paid for or be backed by dog licence fees.
The proposals are among a range of measures designed to overhaul dog laws in England and Wales being considered by senior Ministers, who are expected to announce a public consultation within weeks.
Critics
However, critics have already hit back, saying that responsible dog owners would be penalised by yet more red tape and higher bills – one expert estimated the extra costs at £60 or more – while irresponsible owners of dangerous dogs would probably just ignore the measures. They added that genuine dog lovers could end up paying for efforts to control a small number of ‘devil dogs’ that terrorised deprived areas
Unsurprisingly, many animal charities welcomed the fact the Government was starting a conversation on the issue, almost 20 years after the Dangerous Dogs Act entered the statue book. An RSPCA spokesman said: ‘The fact that it looks like the Government is opening a conversation on this issue is a massively positive thing.’ He also questioned how ‘competency’ would be determined – a question which the Defra paper conceded was difficult.
A better remedy would be to toughen up penalties for owners of ‘anti-social’ dogs, he said, so the punishment was seen ‘as a deterrent rather than just a slap on the wrist’. He said the RSPCA thought the law should require that all dogs be microchipped, a view shared by the Dogs Trust.
A spokesman for Dogs Trust said it disagreed with any competency test, as one could never be sure that the person who turned up to take it would be the dog's keeper. It was also pointed out that elderly or vulnerable people might find taking the test difficult, and be wrongly stopped from owning a pet.
Police figures show an increase in the number of ‘status’ dogs used to intimidate or threaten others. According to figures, there were 703 convictions for dangerously out of control dogs in 2007 – up from 547 in 2004.
Other proposals due to be floated include giving the police and local authorities the power to impose Asbos on the owners of unruly dogs, and extending the law to cover attacks everywhere.
At the moment, dogs which attack people on private property are exempt from the law, despite the complaints from injured postmen. There are also plans to boost the enforcement powers of police, the courts and local authorities.
As part of the proposed overhaul, all dog laws, including the Dangerous Dog Act 1991, often cited as an example of poorly drawn-up ‘knee jerk’ legislation, could be incorporated into a single law.
The Kennel Club said that it was in favour of measures to promote responsible dog ownership, but that the competence tests sounded impractical.
A spokesman for Defra said: ‘We do not comment on leaked documents.’
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