Petition · past parliament · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Restrict 'dangerously out of control' dog offence to cases of serious injury
Closed
70 signatures
What the petition asks
Currently a dog is regarded as dangerously out of control if there is "reasonable apprehension that it will injure any person or assistance dog, whether or not it actually does so". We want this to be amended so that a dog is only regarded as dangerously out of control if serious injury occurs.
Under the current legislation, a person may be convicted of failing to keep a dog under control, and the dog be destroyed, even if the dog doesn't do anything dangerous.
Someone being apprehensive of a dog is not a justifiable reason for a dog to be destroyed or the owner/person responsible to be convicted of a crime. This offence should only apply if a serious injury occurs.
Someone being apprehensive of a dog is not a justifiable reason for a dog to be destroyed or the owner/person responsible to be convicted of a crime. This offence should only apply if a serious injury occurs.
Timeline
| 9 Nov 2022 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 9 May 2023 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
70
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened
9 Nov 2022
Closed
9 May 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.