Another child mauled by family ‘pet’…
The word ‘puppy’ conveys an image of fun and friendship and for the vast majority of dog owners the family pet poses no danger to young children or adults…
Unfortunately, not all dogs are safe with people.
Dangerous dogs maul 8-year old Glasgow girl
Once more we find ourselves asking –
“What is to be done with dogs that attack and maim innocent children?…and what is to be done with their owners?”
Big, powerful, intimidating animals such as American bulldogs – the type of dogs that attacked this young girl – can hardly be described as family pets, can they? This is a typical photograph of a well-muscled, extremely powerful dog that has to be harnessed. Says it all really…
We don’t know the full circumstances surrounding this latest incident but we do know this – the risk to children from vicious, uncontrollable dogs is a real and present danger and nothing much is being done to stop it.
The Control of Dogs (Scotland ) Act was meant to make a difference but why do we rarely if ever hear it quoted in relation to the dangerous and life-threatening behaviour of problem dogs. Deed not breed was the mantra that heralded the introduction of the new legislation…
Family’s Staffordshire bull terrier mauls toddler in Glasgow flat.
n post Control of Dogs (Scotland Act) 2010 – yet another attack by a fearsome dog on a defenceless child makes the headlines…
Why do some people insist on keep these types of animals and why can’t they control them?
The litany of dog attack victims in this country is long and shameful and we make no apology for highlighting the all too familiar pattern of family ‘pet’ savages daughter / nephew / neighbour / family friend…
We wish this little girl a full recovery and our sympathies go to her mother.
Surgeons at Glasgow’s Sick Kids Hospital at Yorkhill battled to save a toddler’s eyesight after she was mauled in a horror attack by her grandad’s dog.
The terrifying dog attack happened just before midnight on Friday at a flat in Possil,
Glasgow.Millie’s 21-year-old mum Jamielee Bennett is the daughter of the dog’s owner, Joe Bennett. The dog involved – along with another of the same breed owned by the grandfather – has been seized by police.
A police spokesman said:
“An 18-month-old girl sustained serious facial injuries after being bitten by a Staffordshire bull terrier in a house in Glasgow at around 11.40pm on Friday. She was taken to Yorkhill Children’s Hospital, where she is presently detained.
Hospital staff describe her condition as serious but stable. The dog, plus one other of the same breed, has been seized by officers and inquiries continue.”
Our views on dangerous dogs and the responsibilities of dog ownership:
http://news.bonnarandco.com/great-grandmother-tragically-mauled-to-death
http://news.bonnarandco.com/tag/dangerousdogs
Written by Andy Thorogood, Business Development Manager, Bonnar Accident Law.
Great-grandmother tragically mauled to death by family dogs
Fresh calls were made for a change in the law in England and Wales today after a great-grandmother was apparently mauled to death by her daughter’s dogs in her back garden.
The five animals pounced on Gloria Knowles, 71, after she went into the garden to give them their evening meal as a favour to her daughter, Beverley Mason.
The widow was badly injured when the dogs – two ‘giant’ Bordeaux French mastiffs, two American bulldogs and a small mongrel – seemed to suddenly turn on her.
She was found dead at the scene in Morden, South London on Tuesday night.
Currently, in England and Wales, police can only prosecute owners of dogs who harm people if the attack happens in public – and they can only forcibly remove illegal dogs.
THE LAW IN SCOTLAND RELATING TO DANGEROUS DOGS
Follow this link for our comments on dangerous dogs and The Control of Dogs (Scotland)Act:
http://news.bonnarandco.com/tag/dangerousdogs
Today further calls were made for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to change the law to allow dog control rules to apply everywhere.
As we noted yesterday, the Communications Union CWU, which represents postal workers in the UK, is campaigning to change the law and said the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is failing to protect both dog owners and attack victims.
They pointed to two incidents where postmen in Cambridge and Sheffield almost lost limbs while carrying out their duties. The man who owned two rottweilers that almost tore off the Cambridge postman’s arm in2008 escaped prosecution.
The tragedy in this incident is that a much-loved mother and grand-mother is dead and a family is left devastated by their loss.
The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act – Scottish editors please note that it came into force last month, by the way…
Despite a deliberately populist headline, the official Scottish Parliament press release on The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act (see full transcript below) has attracted absolutely no media coverage in Scotland as far as we can tell…
We think this is a gross oversight, particularly in the wake of the horrific dog attack suffered last week by seven year old Hamilton schoolboy Jude Keir.
Perhaps the press release shouldn’t have been sent out on a Saturday – hardly a ‘hot news’ day – so the lack of coverage is hardly surprising.
This is a real shame to say the least given the fact that this groundbreaking legislation has been praised by all shades of the political spectrum in Scotland and both sides of the border. In our view, the Scottish parliament has lost a golden opportunity to raise public awareness of the new legislation and highlight the zero tolerance of dog owners who allow their animals to attack innocent people.
What we find inexplicable is that the politicians who introduced the bill and supported its progress through the Scottish Parliament did not think it was important to get their message out there and ensure that in the aftermath of Jude’s injuries, the resulting press coverage contained a detailed explanation of the Act and delivered a strong warning to all dog owners about their dog’s behaviour.
The new law, which applies to all public places and private homes now focuses on the deed and not the breed and we sincerely hope that it has the desired effect.
Dog asbos can be issued from today
26/02/2011
Dog owners who allow their pets to become out of control in a public or private place could be issued with a ‘dog control notice’ from today as new legislation comes into force designed to crack down on delinquent dogs and their owners.
The changes to the law come after a Control of Dogs Bill, brought forward by Christine Grahame MSP, was voted through unanimously by the Scottish Parliament last year.
Under the new legislation action can be taken against any dog owner who permits their dog to become out of control.
The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 adopts a ‘deed not the breed’ approach in tackling irresponsible dog ownership. It also highlights the central responsibility of the dog owner in controlling behaviour. The aim is to identify out of control dogs at an early stage so that measures to change their behaviour – and that of their owners – can be implemented before any dog becomes a danger to the public.
The 2010 Act also makes a change to the existing criminal offence of allowing your dog to be dangerously out of control. This change is designed to ensure dog owners can be held to account when they fail to take control of dogs who become dangerous and attack.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:
“Out of control dogs can be a real nuisance in communities across Scotland. What starts off as intimidating or antisocial behaviour can sometimes quickly turn into a potentially dangerous situation.
“The aim of this act is to nip it in the bud at an early stage so that action can be taken against dog owners who allow their pets to become out of control.
This is designed as a preventative regime and we don’t expect thousands of dog control notices to be issued every week.
“That said, irresponsible owners are being given a clear message today that their actions will not be tolerated and they now face consequences if they flout this new law.
“The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring our communities are protected from dangerous dogs, which is why we, along with all other parties, supported the measures contained in Christine Grahame’s Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill – passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament last year.
“The provisions contained in this Act will give additional powers to local authorities to take action against out of control of dogs, help improve dog behaviour and place clear responsibilities on dog owners. We hope the implementation of this new legislation will lead to a reduction in the number of dog attacks which continue blight our communities each year.
“A dog owner has to be responsible for their dog at all times, including in their own home. This is especially important when small children are also in the home. The change to the Dangerous Dogs Act offence so a dog owner can be held criminally responsible where a dog is found to be dangerously out of control in any place is to be welcomed as this reinforces the need to be a responsible dog owner and control your dog at all times.”
ABOUT
TYPES OF INJURY
TYPES OF ACCIDENT
TYPES OF ILLNESS
HOW TO CLAIM
LOCATIONS
CONTACT
