Section 1 of the Dangerous dogs Act 1991 prohibits four types of dog:
- the Pit Bull Terrier
- the Japanese tosa
- the Dogo Argentino
- the Fila Brasileiro
The Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997
It is important to note that, in the UK, dangerous dogs are classified by “type”, not by breed label. This means that whether a dog is considered dangerous, and therefore prohibited, will depend on a judgment about its physical characteristics, and whether they match the description of a prohibited ‘type’. This assessment of the physical characteristics is made by a court.
The 1991 Act was amended by the Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997. The 1997 Act removed the mandatory destruction order provisions of the 1991 Act by giving the courts discretion on sentencing, and re-opened the Index of Exempted Dogs for those prohibited dogs which the courts consider would not pose a risk to the public. Only courts can direct that a dog can be placed on the list of exempted dogs.
Section 3 of the 1991 Act created a new offence of being an owner of a dog of any type or breed which is dangerously out of control in a public place or a non-public place in which it is not permitted to be.
Visit the following websites for more information
www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1991/ukpga_19910065_en_1
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/dangerous/
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