Dogs Act 1871: Wales

(asked on 18th November 2015) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people in Wales have been subject to proceedings in a magistrates' court for offences under the Dogs Act 1871 in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.


Answered by
George Eustice Portrait
George Eustice
This question was answered on 24th November 2015

The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' court under Section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871, within Wales police force areas, from 1997 to 2014 (the latest available), can be viewed in table 1

The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' court for selected offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, within Wales police force areas, from 1991 to 2014 (the latest available), can be viewed in table 2


Dog attacks are not recorded centrally. However, the attached table provides numbers of successful prosecutions against people who have allowed a dog to be dangerously out of control for each of the last two years for which figures are available.


Table 1


Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' court under Section 2(1) of the Dogs Act 1871, within Wales police force areas(2), 1997 to 2014 (3)(4)
Number of proceedings

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

97

116

82

64

69

57

45

29

26

17

2007

2008(5)

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014


18

15

4

8

6

4

5

7



(1) Own a dangerous dog not kept under control (2) The Police force areas within Wales are: North Wales, Gwent; South Wales, Dyfed-Powys (3) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data collection process and their inevitable limitation are taken into account when those data are used. (5) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates' court for April, July and August 2008.

Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice Ref: PQC16790


Table 2


Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' court for selected offences(1) under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, within Wales police force areas, 1991 to 2014 (3)(4) Number of proceedings


1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000


0

41

54

13

28

24

27

44

66

90


2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008(5

2009

2010


79

78

76

89

73

66

77

72

78

96


2011

2012

2013

2014



104

143

100

98


(1) Includes offences under section 1(3), 3 (1) and 3(3) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which came into effect on 12 August 1991 (2) the Police force areas within Wales are: North Wales, Gwent; South Wales; Dyfed-Powys (3) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (5) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates' court for April, July and August 2008.

Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice Ref: PQC16879

.

Reticulating Splines