Nuisance dogs to get Asbos under new Scottish law

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/poli ... -1.1022528" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With the words “postmen and postwomen of Scotland, rejoice” MSP Christine Grahame yesterday celebrated the unanimous passage of her Bill forcing dog owners to keep their pets under control.

The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act will allow local authority wardens to issue control notices – so-called dog Asbos – on owners who permit their pets to become anti-social or frightening nuisances.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said he approved the legislation, which would improve community safety.

The Act changes the law so that action can be taken against dog owners if their pets are dangerously out of control in any place, including their own homes – hence Ms Grahame’s quip about rejoicing postal workers.

Mr MacAskill said the Scottish Government welcomed its aims of “trying to make our communities safer through effective preventative action being able to be taken against dogs which are out of control”.

The Justice Secretary said

the legislation was designed to identify out-of-control dogs and provide measures to change their behaviour and the behaviour of their owners before the dog becomes dangerous.

He said dog control notices would help encourage owners to take responsibility for the actions of their dogs, adding: “Our view is that the new dog control regime is designed to be a preventative regime. We don’t expect thousands of dog control notices to be issued every week.”

Mr MacAskill also welcomed the change in the law that will allow dog owners to be held responsible if their animals behave in a dangerous manner in their own homes.

Ms Grahame, an SNP backbencher, said: “It is clear the problem of out-of-control and dangerous dogs is growing across the UK.

“Scotland is consistently seeing around 600 reported dog attacks each year, more than double the figure 10 years ago. Hospitals in 2007-08 treated 363 people who had been bitten or struck by a dog.

“People walking their dogs are intimidated by out-of-control dogs, indeed some parks are a no-go area because of a local delinquent dog.”

The South of Scotland MSP, a former dog owner herself, also explained why her Bill had extended the offence of allowing a dog to be dangerously out-of-control to apply to all places.

She said: “Horror reports of children savaged to death have more often than not occurred in a private dwelling where the dog was permitted to be.”

Labour’s Michael McMahon, who revealed he needed hospital treatment three times as a result of dog bites, said councils had concerns about the financial impact of the legislation.

He claimed: “The information we have from local authorities indicates the level of staff currently employed in relation to control of dogs is at best mixed, and the expected burden on councils is going to cause many of them difficulties.

“When we’re losing teachers, social workers, home care workers and other necessary frontline staff under the current local government financial strictures, it stretches credulity to believe that dog wardens and other associated costs are going to be immune from the cost pressures.”

Tory MSP David McLetchie said the Bill was a worthwhile piece of legislation that recognised deficiencies in earlier laws. He added: “The focus on deed not breed is an important principle, highlighting the responsibility of owners as much as the behaviour of their dogs.”

Liberal Democrat MSP Jim Tolson backed the legal right to destroy a dangerous dog as the “crucial ultimate sanction” to ensure public protection.

[Thunderthighs]

Doin a bit of "cover" this week, approached a gate with foliage covering it. Then all Hell broke loose...two dogs trying to get to me, going nuts.
Owners comments, "Oh they're harmless, all noise. Wouldn't hurt a fly."
Wished I was a fly by that point.

Later, isolated farm. Two huge Rottweilers, collie cross plus unidentified "creature" !
Same comment...They're all noise, gentle, playful. ( Yeah, right...)
I cycled past these 4 "Cuties" last year, not knowing they lived there.
Got up the hill faster than Lance Armstrong, no flippin' kidding!!!

[brothermagrew]

And the relevant Bill [As Passed] can be viewed at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bi ... /index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - Scroll to very bottom.

[brothermagrew]

Scottish Parliament Official Report Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill.doc