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Dog control laws need to be tightened up to avoid tragedy here

Issued : Tuesday 2 January, 2007

Insufficient regulation and poorly-resourced enforcement of dog laws mean that a tragedy like the death of little Ellie Lawrenson in England could all too easily happen here, Labour's Mary Upton has said.

"That poor little girl was killed by a pit-bull terrier, and despite the known dangers associated with certain breeds of dog, there is no restriction on owning or breeding such animals here.

"We do have laws which require all dogs to be licensed and for particular breeds to be muzzled, but the enforcement of these laws leaves a lot to be desired. Most counties have only one dog warden who is responsible for enforcing these laws. It's completely unrealistic for anybody to expect these officers to be able to deal with all of these rules ad regulations with such a paltry level of support. If we believe that dog control is an important issue, then dog warden services must be resourced properly.

"Our dog laws need to be tightened up. In particular we should be looking to impose an outright ban on certain breeds.

"We have all seen instances where these dogs are allowed roam our streets without a lead, never mind a muzzle. Certain types of dog are bred to be fighting dogs and by their nature have an agressive predisposition. There is a case to be made for setting up a national inspectorate to deal specifically with the most aggressive breeds.

"It's only a matter of time before tragedy strikes unless action is taken."