What is classed as an out of control dog?

Donnell Leannon
2025-07-26 20:03:28
Count answers
: 17
If a dog is dangerously out of control in any place in England or Wales, the owner, and if different, the person for the time being in charge of the dog, is guilty of an offence. A person guilty of an offence under this subsection is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or both. If the dog while so out of control injures any person or assistance dog, an aggravated offence is committed under this subsection. A person guilty of an aggravated offence under this subsection is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or both. In proceedings for an offence against a person who is the owner of a dog but was not at the material time in charge of it, it shall be a defence for the accused to prove that the dog was at the material time in the charge of a person whom he reasonably believed to be a fit and proper person to be in charge of it. It is hereby declared for the avoidance of doubt that an order on complaint that a dog is dangerous and not kept under proper control may be made whether or not the dog is shown to have injured any person.

Raleigh Bogan
2025-07-14 01:01:31
Count answers
: 8
A dog doesn't have to bite to be deemed dangerous in the eyes of the law. Generally if a dog bites a person, it will be presumed to have been ‘dangerously out of control’, however even if the dog does not bite, but gives the person grounds to feel that the dog may injure them, the law still applies. Under this section, it is a criminal offence for the person in charge of the dog to allow it to be ‘dangerlessly out of control’ in a public place. You also need to consider how your dog greets people, what you view as a dog being friendly by jumping up at visitors may be seen as threatening behaviour by a stranger. It will now be an offence for your dog to attack an assistance dog. Police or an appointed local authority now have powers to seize a dangerously out of control dog in a private place. There is a slight grey area in these changes in that if the person attacked is a burglar or trespasser your dog may not be considered dangerously out of control if it is in a building that is your private dwelling at the time of the attack.

Oceane Champlin
2025-07-14 00:00:40
Count answers
: 18
Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it: injures someone makes someone worried that it might injure them. A court could also decide that your dog is dangerously out of control if either of the following apply: it attacks someone’s animal the owner of an animal thinks they could be injured if they tried to stop your dog attacking their animal. It’s against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control anywhere, such as: in a public place in a private place, for example a neighbour’s house or garden in the owner’s home. The law applies to all dogs. You can report a dog that’s out of control.

Felton Jenkins
2025-07-13 23:20:54
Count answers
: 14
A dog does not have to attack a person or another animal to be out of control. Your dog is out of control if: you do not keep it under control effectively and consistently its behaviour causes someone to fear for their own safety or that of another person or animal. You may not be keeping your dog under control if: your dog's behaviour causes alarm and fear. You may not be keeping your dog under control if: you leave it alone in public places or you let it stray. You may not be keeping your dog under control if: it does not come back when you call it. You may not be keeping your dog under control if: it nips or bites another person for any reason. You may not be keeping your dog under control if: you do not put it on a lead or keep it under close control around sheep.

Elnora Reichel
2025-07-13 20:42:42
Count answers
: 17
Whether your dog is a banned type depends on what it looks like, rather than its breed or name. For example, if your dog matches many of the characteristics of a Pit Bull Terrier, it may be a banned type. A police or council dog expert will judge what type of dog you have and whether it is (or could be) a danger to the public. If your dog is banned but the court thinks it’s not a danger to the public, the court may put your dog on the Index of Exempt dogs and let you keep it. Your dogs must be: neutered fitted with a microchip kept on a lead and muzzled at all times when in public kept in a secure place so it cannot escape. As the owner, you must: take out insurance against your dog injuring other people be aged over 16 show the Certificate of Exemption when asked by a police officer or council dog warden, either at the time or within 5 days.

Carlee Davis
2025-07-13 19:51:52
Count answers
: 13
A dog is classed as one that is dangerously out of control and you are worried that it might bite or has bitten a person. Under this act a dog is considered as being out of control if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the dog will injure a person, whether or not it actually does so. The Dangerous Dog Act 1991 relates to all dogs of any type or breed. It makes it a criminal offence for the owner of a dog and any other person in charge of it at the time to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place or a private place where the dog has no right to be. Every dog owner must make sure their pet is not a nuisance. As a dog owner, you must comply with certain laws designed to make sure that people and dogs can live happily and safely together in the community. The vast majority of incidents that get reported involve both parties’ animals being off the lead and therefore not under the complete control of the person walking it. The best way to avoid any confrontation is to ensure that your dog is kept under close control by keeping the dog on a lead.
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