Petition · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Reform the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to remove breed bans and introduce licensing

Open for signatures 2,815 signatures

What the petition asks

We ask the Government to reform the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 by removing breed-specific provisions and introducing a universal, behaviour-based dog licensing system that replaces the current framework and applies equally to all breeds, with proportionate enforcement and owner accountability.
The current Act combines breed-specific restrictions with behaviour offences. We believe dog control law should apply equally to all breeds and focus on responsible ownership, traceability, and proportionate enforcement.

We propose replacing the current system with a universal licensing framework for owners, regulated breeding and rehoming, and behaviour-based enforcement measures that apply to all dogs.

This would replace the existing enforcement structure entirely for all dogs and owners.

Timeline

24 Mar 2026 Petition opened for signatures

Key facts

Signatures 2,815
Status Open for signatures
Department Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened 24 Mar 2026

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.