March 2010 - All dogs could be insured

The government has announced a review of the 1991 Dangerous Dog Act that would require all dog owners in England and Wales to have third party insurance to ensure attack victims are financially compensated.

Over recent years there has been a steady rise in dog fighting, attacks and the use of dogs for intimidation. Equally of concern is the rising trend of owning illegal dog breeds for status symbols.

With more than 100 people admitted to hospital each week following dog attacks, compulsory third party insurance would offer cover to victims from possible reoccurring medical bills, such as physiotherapy and prescription medication.

The consultation is to look at extending the dangerous dogs laws to cover all locations, including private property. This is seen as an important step in protecting people in professions that require working on private property, such as postal workers. Currently under the 1991 Dangerous Dog Act, if an attack is on private property involving a dog that is not on the banned dog list, then the owner can only be pursued through the Dogs Act of 1871, which is widely accepted as being complicated, time consuming and not in the interests of the victim.

The government has proposed compulsory micro chipping for dogs so the owners can be more easily traced and identified. Critics have argued that measures such as compulsory insurance and micro chipping for all dog owners are difficult to enforce and believe extra powers to the police force and councils to enforce Dog Control Notices are likely to be more effective.

Widely seen as a positive step in combating the rising number of attacks, intimidation and dog violence, the challenge of ‘DOGBOS' will be to influence the dog owners. The success of any new measures will be watched closely, as the people who are responsible for this recent trend are expected to simply ignore measures such as compulsory insurance and micro chipping.