All dogs to need insurance

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn and Home Secretary Alan Johnson joined to launch changes to the Dangerous Dogs act that will require all dog owners to have insurance.

All dogs will have to be micro-chipped for identity purposes.

The consultation proposes:

• Extending dangerous dogs laws to cover all places including private property;
• Giving police and councils more powers to tackle the problem of dangerous dogs by the introduction of Dog Control Notices;
• Considering removing exemption rules that allow some people to keep banned types of dogs or if exemptions are to remain ensuring that the system works more effectively;
• Introduction of compulsory microchipping for dogs so that dog owners can be more easily traced; and
• Introduction of compulsory third party insurance so that victims of dog attacks are financially recompensed.

The Home Office is also giving an extra £20,000 to the Association of Police Officers (ACPO) this year to help police forces train dedicated dog legislation officers and better equip the police to deal with dangerous dogs. This matches the funding Defra gave ACPO last year.