The Kintyre Forum

First local dog owner falls foul of new legislation

Dog owners across Argyll and Bute are being urged to ensure they comply with new legislation which came into force earlier this year.

The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 is designed to ensure that communities are protected from dogs which are out of control and to tackle irresponsible dog ownership.

Argyll and Bute Council’s Streetscene team recently issued its first dog control notice (DCN) to a Dunoon resident who had repeatedly failed to keep their animal under control.

Under the notice, the owner is required not only to keep the dog under control but also to have a microchip implanted in the animal within 14 days (if it does not already have one) as a means of identifying both the dog and its owner.

Officers also have the power to include other measures on the notice if appropriate, such as muzzling the dog whenever it is in a public place, keeping it on a lead, neutering a male dog and attending a training course in dog control.

Failure to comply with any aspect of the DCN could lead to a fine of up to £1,000, an order disqualifying the individual from owning a dog for a specific period of time and – if the court considers the dog is dangerous – an order for its destruction.

The focus of the new legislation is the ‘deed not the breed’ approach. Any dog has the potential to be the subject of a notice, whatever its size or breed.

Councillor Daniel Kelly, chair of the planning, protective services and licensing committee, said the issuing of such a notice would always be a last resort.

"This is something our officers will do only when all other avenues have been exhausted. But dog owners should be quite clear that we will not hesitate to use the powers we have been given if we deem it necessary,” he added.

“Irresponsible dog owners and their animals are often the scourge of their communities, and out of control dogs are not just a public nuisance but can create genuine fear and anxiety for local residents.

“The legislation is primarily aimed at the owners, rather than the dogs. If owners can be persuaded to change their behaviour before their dogs become dangerous, then the behaviour of the dogs will also improve.”

“The legislation is primarily aimed at the owners, rather than the dogs. If owners can be persuaded to change their behaviour before their dogs become dangerous, then the behaviour of the dogs will also improve.”

This is very true you !

Owners of dogs must realise that a dog is an animal not a human .

Also sending these people to dog obedience and training classes is a good thing but they must stick with the training given and use it out with the classes or it will be a waste of time .
Letting the dog do its own thing all the time and then expecting it to behave at training once a week wont work and will only confuse the dog .
You can still love and pamper your dog as much as you want but certain ground rules must be taught to all breeds big or small and this is what a lot of owners dont understand.Being firm with a dog is not being cruel and it will not make it hate you or upset or make it afraid of you, it will just show the dog that you are in control and must listen to you .
I have seen many a dog owner come to dog obedience and give up when the dog does not instantly become obedient , they say " oh she dosent like to do that " or" he wont lie down " that is because they have never been taught to do it or the owner has given up because the dog "got upset " makes me want to scream sometimes
How do they know this ? did the dog tell them that

The focus of the new legislation is the ‘deed not the breed’ approach. Any dog has the potential to be the subject of a notice, whatever its size or breed

It is also good that this law does not discriminate against any one breed as I myself know that smaller dogs can be worse than some of the bigger dogs that have reputations for being nasty ,just because a dog is big does not mean to say that it will be vicious .
As Cesar Milan says he" trains people " and not dogs and this is true IMO .

We have someone that lives further up our street that has an aggressive dog. The owner doesnt seem fazed even though it growls and barks agressively at everyone (except the owner) of course. One of these days i see the dog biting someone, and if that happens then it will be the owners fault if anyone sustains any injuries or anything happens to that dog. In which case i would see the owner being prosecuted.
I just hope these type of owners realise that just because they are "dog lovers" doesnt mean everyone else is. Aggressive dogs are intimidating and can be scary, especially to small kids.
In my eyes, letting your dog be agressive is like letting your kid shout and swear at people. Its not acceptable.

Of course, i do also know and have friends that have lovely dogs, big and small.