Give Human Education a priority over Dog Legislation

Legislation for the control of dogs and the safety of the public has been in force in the U.K. for a number of years.

The legislation is rarely enforced and few steps are taken to protect the general public. Owning a family dog has many health and social advantages for a large number of families, but a rapidly increasing number of irresponsible owners have resulted in the number of attacks by dogs on people increasing at an alarming rate. The majority of irresponsible owners fall into the youth category who purchase large, status type dogs with little or no thought for the safety of others including immediate family members. They are not aware of how to train their dogs or why this is necessary.

The result is that the dogs can cause serious injuries and even death. Tragically, the majority of those injured or killed are children and the numbers increase each year with nothing being done to prevent it. We believe that current legislation will not be enforced to the level required to ensure its’ success and the solution to this dangerous problem is through education. All children should be educated in schools to comprehend responsible dog ownership.

It is especially important that all children are aware of the dangers and how to act in an appropriate manner in order to keep themselves safe around dogs.