When society deems a dog to be ‘dangerous’
sir – A woman has died from suspected sepsis after injuries sustained while intervening in a dog fight (report, June 10).
As a veterinary behaviourist who frequently assesses dog bite incidents and gives evidence in court, I know that such a tragedy is merely the tiny tip of a very large iceberg. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was never intended to be applied to a dog with no animosity towards people, which may inadvertently injure an intervening person when in the throes of conflict with another dog. However, the allegation of “being dangerous” is frequently levelled against the perpetrator of such a bite – even if the dog belongs to the “victim”.
Far more attention needs to be paid to how dogs are managed in society, and whether what is now required of them and their owners may interfere with what nature intended. One hopes that the Government-commissioned research under way at Middlesex University will elucidate the many causes of dog bites. Without such insight, our society will never be able to prevent them.
Dr Kendal Shepherd
Kettering, Northamptonshire