MSPs to run health check over dog control law

The effectiveness of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 is to be examined by a Holyrood committee.

A call for evidence has been issued by the Public Audit & Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee as part of its study of the Act, in which it will examine the role of local authorities in fulfilling their duties, including the serving of dog control notices as a deterrent to irresponsible dog ownership.

The inquiry was prompted following concerns at the number of dog attacks in Scotland, with the number of people receiving treatment for dog bites rising from 1,939 in 2015 to 2,027 in 2016.

The committee is keen to hear views on:

• the effectiveness of the Act in reducing the number of out-of-control dogs and dog attacks in Scotland;
• how well people think local authorities are carrying out their duties under the Act;
• what challenges they feel local authorities face in carrying out their duties under the Act;
• whether there are any weaknesses in the Act or any specific changes they would like to see;
• any other issues relating to the Act they wish to bring to the committee's attention.

Convener Jenny Marra MSP commented:

“The Control of Dogs Act was right to recognise that responsibility rests with dog owners to ensure their pets pose no risk to the public.

“Our committee wants to hear a wide range of views on whether the Act has been effective in reducing the number of out-of-control dogs.

“We want to know how well local authorities are carrying out their duties under the Act, and whether the public believe legislation can and should be strengthened to prevent dog attacks in the future.”

Click here to view the call for evidence. The deadline for written submissions is Friday 5 October 2018.