Lord Taylor
Parliamentary Under-secretary of State
DEFRA
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR

02 November 2011

Dear Lord Taylor,
I have had a considerable amount of correspondence from constituents about the recent Westminster Hall debate on measures to deal with dangerous dogs and irresponsible dog ownership. I was not able to attend the debate myself, but this is clearly an issue of great concern to myself and to many in my constituency.
In his contribution to the debate, the attending Minister indicated the Government's willingness to consider new legal frameworks for addressing the problems caused by irresponsible dog ownership, and this is very welcome.
I am glad that the Government will be working closely with animal welfare organisations like the RSPCA in the development of new policies, as this is as much an animal welfare issue as a public safety issue. Whatever the breed, training a dog to be aggressive often involves methods which amount to systematic mistreatment of animals.
The term ‘dangerous dogs' is widely but misleadingly used in discussions around this issue - it is really the dog owners that are at fault. It is owners who fail to properly control their dogs, whether on or off their own property, that are a danger to the public.
I strongly agree with the RSPCA's position that reducing the harm caused by aggressive dogs can only be compatible with the Government's often-stated concern for animal welfare if new legislation is targeted at irresponsible dog ownership. This will ultimately reduce animal suffering as well as the human suffering and fear that antisocial dog owners inflict on their communities.
I would be grateful for some assurance that animal welfare will be a high priority in the ongoing process of developing new policies and legislation, and I hope you will update me on the Home Office's proposals relating to irresponsible dog ownership as they become available.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas, MP, Brighton Pavilion