Good, I am fed up with moronic owners getting one of my breeds very bad press.

There is nothing in criminal law that says the police can take action if it's dog on dog attacks/aggression.

What they can do, however (and it laergely rests on how the IP/victim comes across) is prosecute the owner/handler/both owner & handler under the DDA if a dog is dangerously out of control in a public place and another person (whether a dog owner or not) is afraid enough to reasonably think they may be hurt/injured or attacked by the dog.

Unfortunately there is no legal definition of dangerous so what an experienced dog handler would consider dangerous or aggressive isn't what joe public thinks it is.

Furthermore, there is also the standard legal test of reasonableness or the "reasonable man" where basically what a reaonable person would think or feel under those circumstances at that particular time.

This area of law is a minefield and you'll find that in certain areas the police will take action as will the dog warden. In other areas, it will seem that nothing is ever done

err not WRONG and why do you believe everything you read in the newspapers or radio? thought you told me before its all scaremongering!
so think weve esatblished NOT to bother with the police and dog warden have the powers but need to find the dog as no info was taken

err not WRONG and why do you believe everything you read in the newspapers or radio?

I don't the records of court proceedings are available for people to see, or do you think they are not a matter of fact?!

so think weve esatblished NOT to bother with the police and dog warden have the powers but need to find the dog as no info was taken

I don't think we have established any such thing!

Thanks so much to all who have kindly answered

Although we don't have names etc, we are still going to file a report - and I'm also considering writing to our local paper to warn other dog owners to be aware.

The police definatly can act on a dog sangerously out of control in a publicplace and arrest can be made though that would usually be a last resort. Without going into details i have seen this unfold myself.

Do you have a link to these, please?

The 1871 Dogs Act deals with dog on dog problems, but it is a civil not a criminal matter.

http://www.endangereddogs.com/DogLaw_DogsAct1871.htm

I have heard of people "charged" under this, (for example when a dog was killed) and it was then changed to the DDA s3. At least, that is how the matter has been reported.

Perhaps in this instance again, it was considered that the human was afraid, hence the DDA being invoked.

It is confusing and i wish I understood it more. And I've listened to lectures on it, too

you mention local media and the bbc not court records!!