Photograph by Wilfredor
The owners of aggressive and violent dogs that attack and kill someone may face life in prison under new proposals in England and Wales.
Under current laws, the maximum sentence for a person that allows their dog to maul or kill someone in a public place or private place not belonging to the dog owner is two years, with no prosecution possible for anyone killed at the dog owner’s house. The government are looking to widen the scope of the law to include people killed anywhere, and extend the prison sentence to between seven years and life.
Owners of dogs that injure people or “assistance dogs” such as guide dogs will also carry a prison sentence of between three and ten years.
The government will be consulting on the proposals until September 1st, with the recommendations from this put forward in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill.
Aggressive dog attacks have killed sixteen people in the UK since 2005, with the most recent a 14-year old girl in Greater Manchester in March of this year.
Animal welfare minister Lord de Mauley said:
“Dog attacks are terrifying and we need harsh penalties to punish those who allow their dog to injure people while out of control.
We’re already toughening up laws to ensure that anyone who owns a dangerous dog can be brought to justice, regardless of where a dog attack takes place. It’s crucial that the laws we have in place act as a deterrent to stop such horrific incidents.”