Thirteen dogs suspected to be banned breeds have been seized by police in the Caerphilly basin and Aber Valley in 2023 alone.
This was revealed by Gwent Police Inspector Rhys Caddick, who covers the Caerphilly South and Bedwas area, in an email to local councillors.
The email, dated February 3, came after police carried out an emergency search warrant at a property in Penyrheol – an area that has seen two fatal dog attacks in the last 18 months.
Ten-year-old Jack Lis died in November 2021 after an attack on Pentwyn, while Shirley Patrick, 83, died in December 2022 after an attack on nearby Heol Fawr.
The warrant saw two dogs seized from the address on suspicion of being a banned breed, thought to be a type of pitbull.
Insp Caddick confirmed the dogs were being cared for while waiting for examination.
Last month, an adult dog and six puppies were seized in nearby Hendredenny due to concerns they were on the list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
What is the Dangerous Dogs Act?
The 1991 Dangerous Dog Act is a set of laws that limits the public to what breed of dog they can and can’t own, as well as outlining their responsibilities as owners, in keeping control of potentially dangerous dogs.
The list of prohibited dogs are:
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Japanese Tosa
- Dogo Argentino
- Fila Brasileiro
In 2014, an amendment was made to the act which extended it to cover private property. Prior to this, the Act was only applicable to public spaces.
The punishment for owning any of the previously mentioned breeds varies from a £1,000 fine to six months’ imprisonment.
If any dog was to be the direct cause of loss of life and showed signs of being a ‘dangerous dog’ before the attack, the owner of such a dog could face up to 14 years’ imprisonment.
On deciding whether a dog was potentially dangerous or not prior to an attack, the court is asked to assess the temperament of the dog and also the owner’s ability to control such a dog.
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, between 2000 and 2019, a total of 64 people in England and Wales lost their lives as a result of an attack by a dog.
On January 14, police issued a Community Protection Warning (CPW) against a dog owner who was allowing an American Bully type dog to roam the streets unaccompanied outside their house in Hendredenny.
Caerphilly Observer has asked Gwent Police for the figures from across Caerphilly County Borough.
Penyrheol councillor Lindsay Whittle, leader of the council’s Plaid Cymru group, thanked police for their work and urged residents to report any dog they fear is a dangerous breed.
He said: “Families in our community have been left devastated by dog attacks, so action to reduce the chances of similar incidents is welcomed.”
Cllr Whittle added: “It is also important that Parliament toughen the legislation covering dangerous dogs to better protect the public.”
Last month, Caerphilly’s Labour MP Wayne David told Prime Minister Rishi Sunak the Dangerous Dogs Act is “woefully inadequate”.
Mr David has called for radical changes in the way people own, breed, and sell dogs in the UK – including the reintroduction of some sort of licence for dog owners, which would be enforced by local authorities.
“This is something that really needs to be got to grips with”
Caerphilly’s Labour Senedd Member, Hefin David, raised the issue in First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday February 7.
Posing a question to Welsh Government minister Lesley Griffiths, who is standing in for First Minister Mark Drakeford, Dr David called for laws on owning dangerous dogs to be strengthened.
He also offered to meet with Ms Griffiths to discuss the positive impact law changes could have.
In response, Ms Griffiths said: “This is something that really needs to be got to grips with. The Dangerous Dogs Act is non-devolved, and I have raised this with colleagues in the [UK Government] Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to see if the plan could be to amend the Act.
“Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any movement by the UK Government to do that.
“The Act covers the ownership of specific breeds of dogs deemed to be dangerous, but we know, of course, that all breeds of dogs can show aggression sometimes.
“As a Welsh Government, I think it’s really important to promote responsible ownership, particularly in relation to that particular point.”
Ms Griffiths added: “I’ve asked officials to actually start to look at dog licensing again. When I was young, people had to have a dog licence, and maybe now is the time to look at that.
“I have asked my interim chief veterinary officer to do that for me.”
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