BASC response to dangerous dogs consultation

1 June 2010

What’s it all about?

In a consultation that ran from 9 March to 1 June 2010 Defra invited views on whether the current legislation relating to dangerous dogs adequately protects the public and encourages responsible dog ownership.  However, some of the options being considered would affect all owners if implemented, namely whether all dogs should covered by third-party insurance and be micro-chipped, and these two topics were the focus of BASC’s response.

Click here to read the consultation documents

Click below to download the full content of BASC's response
  BASC response to consultation on dangerous dogs

Compulsory third party insurance for all dogs

BASC does not believe that compulsory insurance will contribute to the reduction in attacks from dog encouraged to be violent or out of control. 

This is because responsible owners will take out third party insurance, but criminals will not.

Compulsory micro-chipping of all dogs

BASC does not believe that all dogs should have to be micro-chipped.

No method of identification is perfect. It is currently a legal requirement for any dog in a public place to have owner identification tags. BASC promote the voluntary micro-chipping of all dogs owned by its members. The micro-chipping of dogs that have had their tails docked under the working dog exemption of the Animal Welfare Act is a legal requirement. In addition to the legal identification of the individual dog micro-chipping offers owner security from theft. 

What happens next?

Defra will publish its findings based on the responses received.

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