Dog owners have been urged to brush up on the strict laws on the pets amid a worrying rise in fatalities from dog attacks.
The Department of Food, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra ) issued a statement following reports by The Mirror on the increasing number of dog attacks reported this year. “Dog attacks can have horrific consequences, which is why it is a criminal offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control, with the police able to seize such dogs,” the department said.
They added: “There have been nine tragic fatalities this year as a result of dog attacks, several of which involving children. We take this disturbing rise extremely seriously and are exploring measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible ownership.”
