Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Written evidence submitted by Lucy Riggs

My five year old daughter was recently seriously injured in a vicious attack by two bullmastiff dogs as we walked home from school. Two other girls, aged five and seven, were also attacked and seriously injured. All three girls had to undergo operations in hospital to treat their injuries. All three are healing well physically, although they will carry scars for life, but we are also dealing with the psychological trauma of such an horrific incident. The psychological effects do not only touch the girls who were injured, but also their older siblings who witnessed the attack and the parents who were present at the time. Members of the public who kindly stopped to help have also commented on the vicious nature of the attack.

Although the proposed changes to the law are a step in the right direction, it is of great concern to me that the recent Defra consultation on the issue of dangerous dogs and irresponsible dog ownership places so little emphasis on introducing measures which would go a long way towards preventing injury. When looking at the statistics of dog attacks which cause serious injury, there are certain types which clearly should be kept on a lead and muzzled when out in a public place. Microchipping may help authorities trace a dog to its owner, but it will not prevent a dog attacking a child or indeed an adult.

My other concern is the Index of Exempted Dogs. A dog is either prohibited or not. A dog that is deemed “safe” at the point of assessment may not necessarily be so at a later date. Dogs can be unpredictable, even those that are not “prohibited”. I am sure that there are many dog owners across the country who believe that their dog would never attack—until the day that it does.

There are unfortunately some irresponsible dog owners who train their dogs to be vicious and I believe that recent changes in guidelines to magistrates, as well as the proposals listed in the DEFRA consultation are going some way towards dealing with such people. However I do feel more could be done. Obviously there are financial implications to take into account, but there are also huge potential savings to the NHS, and beyond the finances, are the thousands of injured children and adults and their families who need to be kept in mind when government decisions are finally made.

July 2012