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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, what discussions he has had with animal welfare organisations on changing the law to allow rehoming organisations to rehome well-behaved and suitably assessed section 1 dogs.

Whilst there are no plans to change the law on dangerous dogs, Defra has discussed the interpretation of the existing law on dangerous dogs with stakeholders. Recent case law (Webb v Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Constabulary (Secretary of State for Food Environment and Rural Affairs intervening) [2017] EWHC 3311 (Admin)) confirmed that the Court may award possession of a prohibited dog to the owner of the dog or to a person who has been “for the time being in charge” of the dog.