Jail warning for owners of danger dogs

The tougher approach to the way those convicted of dangerous dog offences are treated by the courts will see more offenders jailed and more given community orders from August, the Sentencing Council said.

Courts will also be encouraged to ban irresponsible owners who put the public at risk from keeping dogs, order genuinely dangerous dogs to be put down and arrange compensation for victims.

Anyone using an animal as a weapon to attack someone would still be sentenced for assault, but the new guidelines cover both dogs which were dangerously out of control and the possession of banned dogs.

Anne Arnold, of the Sentencing Council, said: “This new sentencing guideline encourages courts to use their full powers when dealing with offenders so that they are jailed where appropriate.

“It also gives guidance to courts on making the best use of their powers so that people can be banned from keeping dogs, genuinely dangerous dogs can be put down and compensation can be paid to victims.”

Under the guidelines, owners, or anyone in charge of a dangerously out of control dog, would face up to 18 months in jail, with the sentence rising to the legal maximum of two years in exceptional cases.

The most serious cases could include incidents where a dangerously out of control dog has caused serious injury during a sustained attack, injured a child, or where the owner has failed to respond to previous warnings.

But the owner could still be given a discharge if the injuries caused were only minor and attempts had been made to regain control of the dog.