So….That Proposed New Dangerous Dogs Legislation…

It will be quite a minefield, especially the private property clause:

Officers had been called to Oldbury, West Mids, after they received reports of four men stealing copper wire at a nearby train station, on Sunday afternoon.

But as the men fled the scene, officers gave chase, and one dog and handler entered a private garden - before the dog attacked the young boy.

Expect the police to demand that they – and their dogs – be exempted from this in the fine print.

Strangely, the police aren't falling all over themselves to remedy this faux pas, either:

Mr Cutbill, who works as a warehouse manger, added: “We have not really had much contact with the police yet and will be speaking to them tomorrow.”

I’d let my lawyer speak for me, if I were you…

West Midlands Police have launched an investigation into the incident - although the dog and handler are both continuing to work while it is ongoing.

Which is somewhat different from the usual ‘desk duty until it’s sorted out’ message, isn't it?

Meanwhile:

Armed police chased a member of a suspected drugs gang through gardens after a car crash, a court heard.

And if they’d encountered a dog in one of those gardens and been savaged, I'm sure they’d have responded as so many US cops have done in similar circumstances. And would have shrugged their shoulders over the demands for recompense from the aggrieved pet owner. Yet it’s OK for their dogs to enter your garden and savage you?

And, just to recap further – it’s proposed that you and your dog should know the difference between an intruder and a child collecting his stray ball, but no such restrictions apply to the police or their dogs?