More Legislation, Or The Police Doing Their Job Properly?

A woman has begun a campaign to change the law after her dog was killed by a "bully hybrid". Karen Hawthornwaite, 55, of Darwen, began a campaign to strengthen the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 after her seven-year-old Lhasa Apso, Benji, was attacked by an off-lead unmuzzled pocket bulldog in 2025 - and had to be euthanised. Despite capturing the attack on CCTV, Karen said it did not meet the criteria for prosecution.

Why not? Beceause the police are lazy and the CPS complacent, of course. And there are few consequences for them of not doing their job. 

Lancashire Police said it had sought expert advice but the incident "did not meet the criteria" under the Dangerous Dogs Act.Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991,external dog attacks on other animals may amount to an offence, but it is for the individual police force and Crown Prosecution Service, to decide whether this is appropriate, on a case-by-case basis.

The dog in question was a pocket bulldog - a cross-breed that is technically not on the dangerous dogs list. But Karen argues that mixed breeds of dogs such as pocket bulldogs fall under a "grey area", allowing dangerous dogs to "evade the full force of the law".

Thr full force of the law is so easy to evade that it may as well not exist at all. 

The spokesperson added: "However to reduce the likelihood of a similar incident happening again, the owner of the pocket bulldog was given an Acceptable Behaviour Contract under the Anti Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, 2014 with specific conditions which include ensuring their dog is on a lead at all times in residential areas."

Conditiond that no-one will ever check are being complied with are a waste of time. 

"We're all fed up of hearing about these incidents," Trevor Cooper, solicitor and dog law specialist, said. "There are victims who deserve better and the law that we have is a complete mess. "It is high time the Dangerous Dogs Act was perhaps thrown away and let's start again with something that is fit for purpose."

It's high time we realised tha the police and CPS are not fit for purpose, and tinkering with legislation won't fix that.