Worthing Borough Council

Your Dog and the Law

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01273 263046

PCDW@worthing.gov.uk

Owning a dog places on the owner a number of obligations beyond the general duty of care for your animal. There are numerous acts of parliament and variety of regulation that affect dog ownership and here is a brief guide to the main responsibilities placed on a dog owner by the law.  

Identification - Control of Dogs Order 1992

You are required to provide your dog with an identity disc or collar inscribed with a name and address in case the dog is lost. If your dog does stray, you should contact your Local Authority Dog Warden immediately, or if out of hours ora t a weekend, the local police.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990

Besides allowing for the above order to be made this Act also allows for your dog to be seized if its strays and to be sold or destroyed if not claimed within seven days.

Protection - Protection of Animals Act 1911

This makes it an offence to beat, kick, ill treat, torture, infuriate or terrify an animal . It is also an offence by action or omission to cause unnecessary suffering to be caused to an animal . The Act was amended to allow an owner to be banned from keeping a dog either for life or such a period as the court thinks fit.

Abandonment of Animals Act 1960

This Act extends the definition of cruelty to include abandonment of an animal.

Control - Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

The main aim is to stamp out specific breeds of dog which have been bred for fighting. In this respect the Act applies to the Pit Bull Terrier , Japanese Tosa , Dogo Argintino, or Fila Braziliero. But it also allows for the same penalties to be applied to any dog proved, in court, to be a danger. This will mean a mandatory destruction of the dog and possibly six months in prison and/or a level 5 fine (at present £5,000) for the owner.

Town Police Clauses Act 1847

This makes it an offence to allow any unmuzzled ferocious dog to be left at large, or set on or to urge any dog to attack, worry or put in fear any person or animal in the street.

Dogs Act 1871

Under this Act a magistrate's court may, upon the complaint of any person that a dog is dangerous and not kept under proper control, order the owner to keep the dog under proper control or may order the dog to be destroyed if the evidence proves that it is, in fact, dangerous.

Animals Act 1971

Under this Act a dog may be shot, without warning by a farmer for worrying his livestock.

Road Traffic Act 1988

This makes it an offence to have a dog on a designated road without the dog being held on a lead. ( All of Worthing's roads are designated.)

Guard Dogs Act 1975

It is an offence to use or permit the use of a guard dog on any premises unless the handler, who is capable of controlling the dog, is present on the premises and the dog is under their control . The dog must be secured so that it is not at liberty to go about the premises. A warning that a guard dog is present must clearly be exhibited at each entrance to the premises.

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