Dangerous Dog Act - Amendments Planned

The government has published proposed amendments to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 - the amendments are now underway; if passed as law, these amendments will affect not only the prohibited dogs but all breeds and types of dog in England and Wales.
 
The draft Dangerous Dogs (DD) Amendment Bill was recently published by Defra, shortly afterwards the EFRA committee launched a two week inquiry to invite written evidence followed by oral evidence specifically on the proposed Bill; they received 86 written responses.

Details of written evidence submitted to the EFRA Committee can be found here.

The draft DD Amendment Bill was expected to be in the Queen’s speech on 8^th May (meaning it will be one of several bills addressed in the next parliamentary session), but, it was not.

The proposed changes had appeared, without explanation within the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing (ASCP) Bill which is a Home Office bill and was included in the Queen’s speech; on the government’s legislative agenda - it is now underway to become an Act – new legislation, which is far reaching, for all dogs and their owners.

The planned amendments to the DDA were published in the ASCP bill before EFRA had published its written report on the evidence it received. Previously the Home Affairs Committee had held an inquiry into this bill ending in January but this was before the amendments from the draft DDA bill were placed into this bill.

So in a nutshell;

·         an Inquiry ending in January 2013 was previously held into the ASCP Bill but at the time the DDA Amendments were not included in the bill

·         a draft Dangerous Dogs Amendment Bill was published by Defra on 9th April

·         a separate inquiry was held by the EFRA Committee - with a deadline of 22nd April

·         the Queen’s speech on 8th May included the ASCP Bill

·         the Government went ahead and placed the amendments within the ASCP Bill which was published on the 9th May

·         the EFRA committee published its report on 16th May on the pre-legislative inquiry it just held but the Amendments were already published

The ASCP Bill is now in progress – this is a large detailed bill where a relatively small portion relates to dogs - it could easily slip past undetected unless you were actually looking for it.

To follow the progress of the Bill click here - you will see that the second reading is due in the Commons on the 10th June 2013

You can read the Bill online here - Part 7 - specifically relates to ‘Dangerous Dogs’ – keeping dogs under proper control and whether a dog is a danger to public safety.

The text from the original draft DDA Amendment Bill has been changed as it’s moved from bill to bill – in reference to the ‘Householder defence’ – there is no longer the need for the owner to be present at the time of an incident in a building that is a dwelling (ie your home) - but this defence applies to the building only, not the garden etc. So presumably if a burglar is in your garden and your dog injures him or there are reasonable grounds your dog might - you are on the wrong side of the law.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Bill also contains the new provisions of Public Spaces Protection Orders and Community Protection Notices are also included in this Bill.

Currently we have Dog Control Orders which are to be repealed and replaced with Public Spaces Protection Orders. PSPO's – these will also be made by local authorities but not parish councils. There’s no limit to what a PSPO can command and they can remain for up to three years.

Community Protection Notice (CPN) will be issued by the police and local authorities, this is a new power for when there is ‘conduct of a persistent or continuing nature’. The CPN specify requirements to do specified things, cease doing specified things or to take reasonable steps to achieve specified results.

 

Draft Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill 2013

The Queen's Speech on May the 8th is reported to include the draft Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill 2013.

On the 9th April the Government published its draft Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill which aims to amend the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (DDA), if passed this new legislation will affect dogs of all breeds/types.

Here we take a detailed look through the Bill and give our analysis on the sections-to read through the proposals you can view the draft Bill in its entirety with government explanatory notes online (see below).
The main points of the Bill are:

1) Extension of section 3 of Dangerous Dogs Act:
 

Section three of the DDA, which applies to all breeds/types of dog, would be extended to apply to all places – to include private property e.g. within your home and garden. This extension would apply to England and Wales.
Section Three of the DDA currently creates a presumption that a dog is presumed to be dangerously out of control if there are grounds for reasonable apprehension that it will injure any person, whether or not it actually does so - with an aggravated offence being committed if the dog, whilst out of control, injures any person, regardless of the circumstances.

Offences where any injury has been caused are currently of strict liability; defences should be possible for dogs alleged to be ‘dangerously out of control’ e.g. when a dog is acting in self-defence - the planned changes do not address this at all.

The draft Bill would extend the law to make it a criminal offence for a dog to be “dangerously out of control” in any place. The definition of “dangerously out of control” remaining the same - when there are grounds for reasonable apprehension that the dog will injury any person whether or not a person is actually injured.

We do not support the extension of sec 3 to 'any' place.

The Bill also extends section three of the DDA with a new provision relating to assistance dogs, making it a criminal offence for a dog to be “dangerously out of control” when there are grounds for reasonable apprehension that the dog will injure any assistance dog, whether or not it actually does, if any injury is caused to an assistance dog whilst out of control an aggravated offence will have been committed.

An assistance dog is (defined by the Equality Act 2010 c173):

§  A dog which has been trained to guide a blind person

§  A dog which has been trained to assist a deaf person

§  A dog which has been trained by a prescribed charity to assist a disabled person who has a disability that consists of epilepsy or otherwise affects the person’s mobility, manual dexterity, physical co-ordination or ability to lift, carry or otherwise move everyday objects

§  A dog of a prescribed category which has been trained to assist a disabled person who has a disability of a prescribed kind (not listed above).

We do not believe that non-aggravated offences should be extended to assistance dogs - e.g. a dog barking at an assistance dog could result in criminal or civil proceedings under the Amendment.

1a) Householder cases:

An exemption has been created in relation to trespassers on private property inside a dwelling – if the householder defence is in operation then no offence under sec. 3 has been committed.
But its application is not clear from how this section is worded – it seems to be that the dog’s owner or carer must be themselves physically present, for example in your home, whilst a trespasser is actually entering the building – so if you have a burglar entering your house whilst you are in it and your dog injures them defending you, you might have a defence.

If you the dog’s owner is not at home whilst there is a break in on your home - there is no defence - you have to be present at the time of the incident!

Also your garden isn’t stated - so if your dog injures or causes apprehension to a trespasser i.e. an intruder on your private garden/private attached land/outbuildings you may have committed a criminal offence if you dog even barks at them.

In our opinion extending ‘dangerously out of control’ to private property will leave dogs and their responsible owners vulnerable to vexatious complaints, not properly protected from trespassers and intruders, with dog owners being subject to legal hearings and potentially criminalised when their dogs are just acting as dogs do - not causing any harm or disturbing anyone - our dogs should be allowed to act as dogs do in our own homes.

2) Powers of entry and seizure:

Section1 (5) of the draft Bill extends the powers of entry and seizure – giving the right to enter private property and seize any dog which appears to be “dangerously out of control” without a warrant.

We do not support the extension of powers for the police or a local authority dog warden to enter private property or to seize a dog from private property e.g. our homes and enclosed gardens without a warrant, if the dog appears to be, or if it appears to have been 'dangerously out of control’.

3) Determination of ‘danger to public safety’:

When a dog is found guilty under sec 3 or sec 1 (prohibited types) the court can order a contingent destruction order as an alternative to a destruction order if satisfied that the dog would not constitute a ‘danger to public safety’. Once satisfied in the case of a prohibited type the court can order the dog is added to the Index of Exempted Dogs as an alternative to destruction.

The definition of what the court must consider has been given in the draft Bill as;

·         the character of the owner or keeper - whether this person is ‘fit and proper’

·         the temperament of the dog and its past behaviour

·         any other relevant circumstances
 

The definition of ‘any other relevant circumstances’ or a ‘fit and proper’ is not given and this will in our opinion be wide open to interpretation.

The same will also apply to section 4b applications before the court – where no legal aid is possible, hence as is currently the situation most cannot afford legal representation nor breed identification or behavioural assessment for the court to dispute 'type' and/or defend their dog if necessary.

This section of the amendment will apply to England, Scotland and Wales.

The notes to the draft Bill describe the Sandhu Judgement as ‘adverse’ – The Sandhu judgement was not in our opinion ‘adverse’. The High Court has examined and interpreted the DDA as it currently stands and confirmed that keeper is separate to owner – saving the lives of innocent dogs as the ruling has enabled exempted dogs to live with a nominated keeper if they are unable to stay with their registered owner.

In our opinion the draft Bill seeks now to destroy pet dogs by dictating to the court what they MUST consider when deciding whether to issue destruction order or CDO. Whether keepership will remain an option is unclear, but in our opinion this draft Bill is adverse and likely to lead to more deaths of innocent dogs that are no danger to anyone.

4) Civil Proceedings:

The draft Amendment will also amend the DDA to enable civil legal proceedings to be bought in respect of dogs under any enactment; this section is not clearly written and has not been given much coverage, nor did previous consultations ask for views on this, yet it would in our opinion have far reaching consequences unless legal aid were to be extended and given where destruction of a dog is at stake.

Legal aid is presently not available, therefore owners will not be able to properly defend themselves. It is unfair and unjust if a defence cannot be put to the courts as the owner cannot afford legal representation and expert assessment e.g. a behavioural report, for the courts – for example to demonstrate the temperament of their dog-just one requirement needed in order to avoid a death penalty for the dog.

If the current legislation is to be amended to allow for civil proceedings to be enacted under all sections then legal aid should be extended to cover civil proceedings.

Verdict:

We do not support the Amendments. Tragically, after so many years of failed abysmal legislation, these poorly drafted Amendments take what already does not work and make it staggeringly worse, the breed specific element is left to carry on causing mayhem, desperation and the countless deaths of innocent pet dogs, whilst nothing here will prevent dog bites or promote responsible dog ownership.

Further Information:

The draft Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill 2013 with explanatory notes.

The Dangerous Dogs Act explained
 

EFRA Committee Update

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Select Committee Announcement - 18 April 2013

Evidence session: DRAFT DANGEROUS DOGS (AMENDMENT) BILL

On 9 April Defra published draft legislation aimed at tackling dangerous dogs. The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee will hear oral evidence as part of its pre-legislative scrutiny of these proposals on Wednesday 24 April from 3 pm.

The witnesses will be:

At 3.00 pm:

 •Gareth Pritchard, Temporary Deputy Chief Constable and

•PC Keith Evans, Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO)

•Richard Leaman, Chief Executive, Guide Dogs Association

At 3.45 pm:

 •Clarissa Baldwin, CEO, Dogs Trust

•Claire Horton, Chief Executive, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

•Steve Goody, Director of External Affairs, Blue Cross

•RSPCA

The meeting will take place in committee room 15 at the Palace of Westminster.

Further information on the inquiry is available on the Committee’s website.

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FURTHER INFORMATION:

The Government’ proposed legislation Draft Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill, Cm 8601,  is at http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm86/8601/8601.pdf

The Committee’s report published in February 2013, Dog Control and Welfare, HC 575 is at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenvfru/575/575.pdf and the Government’s response is at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenvfru/1092/1092.pdf

Defra’s consultation document Promoting more responsible dog ownership is at http://www.defra.gov.uk/consult/2012/04/23/dangerous-dogs-1204/.

Committee Membership is as follows:  Miss Anne McIntosh (Chair), Thomas Docherty, Richard Drax, George Eustice, Barry Gardiner, Mrs Mary Glindon, Ian McKenzie, Sheryll Murray, Margaret Ritchie, Neil Parish, Dan Rogerson

Specific Committee Information: efracom@parliament.uk/ 020 7219 6194/ 020 7219 3262

Committee Contact: Sarah Coe coes@parliament.uk 020 7219 2290  Twitter @CommonsEFRA

Media Information: Hannah Pearce pearcehm@parliament.uk/ 020 7219 8430

Committee Website: www.parliament.uk/efracom              

Watch committees and parliamentary debates online: www.parliamentlive.tv  

Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster, 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474). Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills; research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on www.parliament.uk

Your Views on Proposed Law Changes Requested

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Select Committee Announcement

10 April 2013

MPs TO SCRUTINISE PROPOSED LAW ON DANGEROUS DOGS

EFRA Committee invites written evidence.

On 9 April Defra published draft legislation aimed at tackling dangerous dogs.

 

The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee will conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of these proposals and invites interested parties to submit written evidence on the draft clauses and related dog control issues.

 

The Committee published its report Dog Control and Welfare in February 2013 making recommendations on Defra’s 2012 consultation on promoting more responsible dog ownership.The draft clauses published this week take forward those measures upon which the Government is now proposing to legislate.

 

The EFRA Committee would welcome views on the following issues:

 

· Do Defra’s draft clauses translate the Government’s intentions on dog control into clear, proportionate, and effective legislation?

· Do the proposed measures provide a sufficient legislative base to tackle irresponsible dog ownership?

 

o If not, which additional measures should be brought into law?

o Are any of the proposed measures unnecessary or counterproductive?

 

The Committee will focus in this short inquiry on the legislative mechanisms required to tackle dog control.

 

It will take into account the evidence submitted to its previous, wider Dog Control and Welfare inquiry so it is not necessary to resubmit full evidence covering these points. However, interested parties may wish to update any previously submitted evidence in light of the proposed legislation and the Committee’s February report.

 

Interested parties who wish to submit written evidence on these and related matters are invited to do so by Monday 22 April 2013.

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FURTHER INFORMATION:

Guidance for those wishing to submit written evidence is at:

http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/environment-food-rural-affairs/NotesonSubmittingEvidence.pdf

The Government’ proposed legislationDraft Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill, Cm 8601, is athttp://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm86/8601/8601.pdf

The Committee’s report published in February 2013,Dog Control and Welfare, HC 575 is at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenvfru/575/575.pdf

Defra’s consultation documentPromoting more responsible dog ownership is at http://www.defra.gov.uk/consult/2012/04/23/dangerous-dogs-1204/.

Committee Membership is as follows: Miss Anne McIntosh (Chair), Thomas Docherty, Richard Drax, George Eustice, Barry Gardiner, Mrs Mary Glindon, Ian McKenzie, Sheryll Murray, Margaret Ritchie, Neil Parish, Dan Rogerson,

Specific Committee Information:efracom@parliament.uk/ 020 7219 6194/ 020 7219 3262

Committee Contact:Sarah Coecoes@parliament.uk020 7219 2290 Twitter @CommonsEFRA

Media Information: Hannah Pearcepearcehm@parliament.uk/ 020 7219 8430

Committee Website:www.parliament.uk/efracom

Watch committees and parliamentary debates online:www.parliamentlive.tv

Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster, 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474). Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills; research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on www.parliament.uk

Dangerous Dogs Act - Exempted Dogs & their Carers:

Judicial Review - High Court Ruling:

We've received several enquiries concerning the ownership and keepership of exempted dogs, so here's a reminder of the situation for pet owners:

 

If you are the registered owner of an exempted dog, the High Court has ruled that an exempted dog who is not able to stay with its registered owner can live with a nominated registered keeper – ownership and keepership, which is recorded with the Index of Exempted Dogs (IED) can be two different people at two separate addresses.

If you are a registered owner and your dog cannot stay with you (which could be for any number of reasons) your dog can live with a registered keeper – you will always remain the registered owner, ownership and keepership can be two separate people. 

 

The High Court has ruled that this does NOT amount to making a gift or transfer of ownership (which is illegal to do under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991).

 

The Index of Exempted Dogs which is run by Defra need to be informed of the change and they will advise you what needs to be done, the compulsory insurance will need to taken out by the nominated keeper. There is no need for any legal proceedings to issue a court order to make the change.

 

In the past, EDDR has taken in several exempted dogs who could no longer stay with their registered owners and organised the recording of a separate keeper to owner by informing the IED and insurance company of the change; those exempted dogs lived under the care of EDDR for the rest of their lives. We were also aware of several people who had become keepers of exempted dogs, also without the need for any legal proceedings; this was prior to Defra taking over the operation of the IED.

 

Over the past few years, the Index/Defra refused to register a separate keeper and this led to several legal challenges to this situation, a legal argument on law had been running for several years. It was successfully argued with the CCRC (Ref 611/05) & another case was referred back to Crown Court but DEFRA were not satisfied and no legal precedent had been set. At the middle of this ownership/keepership legal argument were two dogs, previously seized and held as type, following the High Court ruling, both dogs were released as exempted dogs (legal) with two nominated keepers separate to the registered owner recorded with the IED.

 

This Judicial review was heard before the Royal Courts of Justice in London on 23rd May 2012. The case was brought by Tina Hay of Wheldon Law and represented by barrister Pamela Rose of 1 Mitre Court Buildings Chambers, Temple in London. 

 

Judicial Reviews challenge how a decision has been made – the High Court Judges review a decision taken by a public body – in this case Defra in their operation of the Index of Exempted Dogs.

 

This case has set a precedent and with it brought hope and a chance of a life and future for those exempted dogs not able to stay with their registered owners.

‘Danger to Public Safety’ Ruling:

 

But this case didn’t only settle the ownership/keepership issue.

The High Court also examined that when a court is determining whether a dog is a danger to public safety is the court to consider only characteristics of the dog and ruled that “all that the court can do, and should do, if satisfied that the dog in question would not constitute a danger to public safety, because it does not have the inherently dangerous characteristics that pit bull type dogs are believed to have, is make a contingent destruction order if asked to do so, so that attempts can be made to obtain a certificate of exemption”.

 

See: Sandhu v Isleworth Crown Court judicial review2012 (EWHC) 1658 (Admin):

 

The main points for those involved with the DDA legislation:

• A person other than the registered owner of an exempted dog can be the registered keeper of the dog and that this is not a transfer of ownership and is not therefore in contravention of Sec 1 of the DDA 1991
• A court has no power under the Dangerous Dogs Act to direct where an exempted dog (Sec 1 dog) lives – there is no power under the DDA to impose conditions. (A court does have power under the DDA to impose conditions under Sec 3.)
• It is the dog (not the owner) that the court must consider when deciding if the dog is a danger to public safety-the court cannot refuse to issue a contingent destruction order – which enables a dog to be registered and exempted with the Index of exempted Dogs, based on the owner – it is the dog, not the owner which must be considered.
• If the court decides that the dog (Sec 1) does not represent a danger to public safety and makes a contingent destruction order – the dog SHALL be exempted if the conditions set out in the Compensation & Exemption Schemes Order are fulfilled.

Defra Announcement - what is proposed:

The Department of Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) made a long-awaited announcement on 6th February 2013 putting forward a package of measures it believes will tackle welfare and irresponsible dog owners; these measures will apply to dogs and their owners in England.

 

Here we take a look at what Government plans to do, no opinions on this article (EDDR submitted written reports to the Defra 2010 Consultation, the Defra 2012 Consultation and most recently the EFRA Select Committee).

 

Here are the facts from what is presently known.

Background:

Defra ran a public consultation ’promoting more responsible dog ownership’ from April to June last year and sought opinions on four specific proposals:

1. A requirement that dogs are micro-chipped with details of the owner.
2. A change in the criminal law in section 3 of Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to extend the offence of a dog being dangerously out of control to all places, including private property.
3. Allow owners of dogs seized as suspected dangerous dogs or prohibited types to retain possession of their dogs until the outcome of court proceedings.
4. Increase the application fee for prohibited dogs to be placed on the Index of Exempted Dogs

They received 27,000 responses; the results of this consultation have been now been published.

 

Defra (under the previous government) held an earlier ‘dangerous dogs’ consultation between March and ending on the 1st June 2010, they received 4,250 responses; a summary of the responses to the 2012 Defra consultation can be found online here in the Defra archives.

 

What is planned:

 

Here we explain what Defra has announced it now plans and we will be updating our website as more information becomes available:

 

- An extension of section three of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (as amended):

A criminal offence which covers all breeds/types of dog – to be extended to cover private property i.e. inside your home, the proposed extension Defra has said will not provide protection to trespassers who have entered a private property whom the householder believes has unlawful intentions.
This change in law would be passed by an amendment to the current DDA as and when Parliamentary time permits; the detail, in the wording, has not yet been made public.

 

- All dogs in England will need to be micro-chipped by April 2016:

After the 6th April 2016, the owner of a dog found by the police or local authority not to have a microchip will be given a short period of time to comply with the micro-chipping law, if they do not, they will face a fine of up to £500

Dog owner details will need to be registered on an authorised database and contact details kept up to date. Any new owner (e.g. the dog is sold or given away) will need to registered on the micro-chip database.

 

- Increase in the application fee paid to the Index of Exempted Dogs:

It is planned that the fee paid by the owner of a dog deemed prohibited (Sec 1 of DDA) & ordered exempted by the court is raised from the current cost of £24 to £77 plus vat = £92.40.

This increase is expected to be introduced “through a fees order under secondary legislation” and will apply to England, although we expect Scotland and Wales, who have held a separate consultation will also increase the fee.

 

- Seizure and kennelling of suspected prohibited dogs:

Prohibited dogs (section 1 – DDA). It is proposed that it should be no longer necessary for the police to seize and kennel a dog pending the outcome of a court hearing, if the dog is not considered to present a risk to the public; the police will have discretion. An amendment to the exemption scheme is proposed through secondary legislation.

 

(Note: Currently prohibited dogs can already be left at home under the ‘leave at home’ policy – this is entirely up to the police but generally not used. There is currently a requirement that the dog is seized and in police custody at the time of when the legal proceedings take place-the court hearing - it may be that this amendment will remove the requirement for the dog to be seized and held whilst legal proceedings take place, but it is still totally up to the discretion of the police.)

 

- Government Funding:

Government has provided £50,000 shared between the RSPCA, Battersea Cats and Dogs Home and the Dogs Trust for local community projects to encourage responsible dog ownership and funding has been given to the Association of Chief Police Officers to support the training of police officers in dog control legislation.
 

Related News Articles:

 

 Defra Press Release' - 'Free microchip for every dog in England' 6th Feb.

 Written statement from Owen Patterson Defra Minister - 'Tacking Irresponsible Dog Ownership' 6th Feb.

Our Christmas Advice

Seasonal Tips For Dog Owners:

 

Christmas and the New Year is a time of joy and cheer for us and our families and is also often a time of stress, rushing about and pulling your hair out!
Here are some handy tips for you to help maintain your sanity and keep you and your dog happy and safe over the festive season.

Your Christmas Tree & Decorations:

Once a year we fill our rooms up with trees, dangling objects, lights and even hang food around in odd places. We know what is going on, but our dogs probably just think we have gone a bit nuts in the nicest of ways!

Electrics: Make sure you keep your tree lights and any other electrical decorations safely out of your dogs reach-especially if your dog is inclined to investigate or chew through exposed electrical cord. Electrocution can easily be caused.

Trees: If you have a real tree, the needles which fall daily can become stuck in your dog’s paws and are also dangerous if eaten, vacuum daily and keep your dog (and other animals) away from them. Don't let your dog drink the tree water. Some dogs like to mark out against them (why else did human bring a tree indoors but to save going out in the cold?) so bear that in mind too!

Tree Decor: From a dogs point of view – the Christmas tree with its dangling goodies is pretty tempting and begging to be investigated, trees can easily topple over especially once weighed down with decorations and lights etc so try to secure the tree down so it does not fall over so easily if bumped into by your dog (or wagging tail). Trees do tend to look better by the window rather than being worn round the house by your enthusiatic dog!

Dogs can easily be caught up in tinsel and find hanging decorations particularly appealing and ripe for pulling off. Life will be a lot easier and safer if you limit your dog’s access to the area if you need to and don’t leave tree and dog unattended!

Plants: Many Christmas plants including Mistletoe, Holly, Pot Pourrie and Poinsettias are toxic, keep them out of your dogs reach and seek immediate veterinary advice if you think your pet has ingested.

 

Decorations: Those which are edible (or not when they are ten years old) to humans, e.g. hanging chocolate tree decorations may be sniffed out by your dog with his amazing nose detection capabilities, so keep these away. Chocolate is just pure poison to your dogs system, tinsel, tin foil, cling film etc can also be dangerous if swallowed and cause serious internal problems. Fairy lights look lovely, problems can arise when dogs get tangled up in any loose wires left lying around.
Spray snow - the type in the cans, is attractive on the insides of your windows, check you dog isn't interested in licking/scratching it off, chemicals=poisons.

Blu-tack and similar adhesives may cause drooling, vomiting and/or diarrhoea if eaten by your dog. Silica gel found in packaging can have the same affect-contact your vet for advice.

Plastic bags and balloons are also a hazard-keep them away from your dog.

Candles: If you like to use candles-do place where your dog, e.g. your dogs waggy tail, will not accidentally knock over.

Christmas Presents:

Your goodies: Many dogs will be intrigued by the sudden appearance of wrapped boxes and who could blame them, so if you don’t want yours unwrapped by Santa’s little helper, keep them boxes hidden!

Wrappings, trimmings etc can be very dangerous if chewed or swallowed, so keep safely away when not in use & bin after.

Doggie presents: Make sure your dogs own Christmas present(s) are ’dog proof’ – suitable for your dog, robust enough and safe for use.

Christmas Day can in some households seem like a day gone mad from a dog's view, then there is the excitement of the present opening, the paper, the noise, all those socks too!

If you have more than one dog and are giving out a present to each dog bear in mind how each dog is going to react with their new possession around the other dogs, sharing might be right out the window to begin with. Give your dogs space and maintain control - it's not like you 're too busy right? You are after all supermum and superdad - dogs need your help too.

Festive Food, more food, did I mention there's more food and treats:

Some of the foods we love to fill up on over Christmas are actually toxic for our dogs.

It can be a tough job to keep a watch on your dog even with the extra set of eyes you have developed in the back of your head, but you'll need to be one step ahead.

Cooked foods left on top of the oven are very tempting to your dog and many a time the whole lot has been reached and knocked back in one or two gulps; bones, trimmings, stuffing the lot-this can lead to an expensive out-of-hours veterinary visit or if you are lucky it will pass though and you will need one hell of a shovel or plastic bag out in the garden on Boxing Day, plus you've missed your lunch so watch out.

Diet - We often get carried away with extra festive treats and unusual foods this time of year, it’s nice to include our dogs and treat them too – but don’t forget that a sudden intake of unusual foods, or too much of anything is likely to cause diarrhoea and/or vomiting, so watch out for how much and what exactly your dog is being offered - keep an eye on any guests sneaking in the treats too, or Fido will end up with an upset tummy and it could be a messy and uncomfortable Christmas!

Chocolate -  is a definite NO! It contains a chemical called Theobromine which is actually poisonous to dogs and even just a small amount can be lethal for some. Chocolate poisoning can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures and death. If you want to treat your dog – buy treats designed for dogs, our rescue dogs loves to chew on a carrot or apple, keep them safe and keep them healthy. If you suspect chocolate poisoning – contact a vet immediately.

Sweetcorn -  isn’t digested and corn on the cob is very dangerous, cobs can easily cause an obstruction which will require surgery to remove if it doesn’t kill your dog. If you have corn on the cob-dispose of the cobs where your dog can’t reach and never ever feed to your dog.

Bones - you may have more cooked meats around and your dog is sure to have spotted exactly where all his goodies are! Bones can be dangerous, cooked ones becoming brittle and easily breaking into sharp pieces which can choke a dog, don’t give anything you wouldn’t usually.

Coffee – alcohol – sweets - yummy for us but NO NO NO for our canine friends. Give your dog a nice Christmas and keep well away.

Grapes, raisins and sultanas should not be fed to your dog, these are now known to be toxic to dogs and can cause poisoning. Cases of kidney failure have been documented. Other foods such as liquorice, avocados, onions and some nuts can also cause problems.

A poisons leaflet produced by the British Veterinary Association is available online here.


Fun, parties & visitors over the holidays:

Some dogs will enjoy extra people around, for some it can be very stressful-just because you are enjoying 'festive fun' it, doesn't mean your dog must too.

If you’re hosting a party/get together: Some dogs will becomeoverexcited or frightened when around unusual noises such as children toys, balloons popping, party bangers, flashing lights etc and intoxicated visitors can also cause a dog to feel uneasy - being grabbed, cuddled and told your a good boy over and over by auntie who has hit the sherry early is not a dog's idea of a fun day out, so plan in advance to help keep your best friend relaxed.

If your dog is known not to cope well with these types of situations, or you haven't owned your dog long enough to find out, don't take chances, be ready with your dog's 'retreat area':

Make sure your dog(s) has a retreat somewhere familiar where he can go and relax away from all the noise and excitement if he needs too or you need to put him somewhere safe, for example a room upstairs or a dog crate somewhere familiar and quiet. This is especially important if you are likely to become putting it bluntly - drunk and not much use to your dog. Provide some favourite chews, or a stuffed Kong to help keep him occupied,where he likes to be, leave the radio/TV on to help block out some noise, make sure he has the remote control handy too but don’t let him on the karaoke! Exercise in advance to help him settle down whilst you get on enjoying yourself!

Try plugging in a DAP diffuser two weeks before your busiest week and keep it plugged in over the Xmas to help relax your dog if needed.

Extra guests: Many households will receive extra guests, relatives and often young children, so bear in mind that if your dog isn’t used to the extra attention, noise etc, have a quiet retreat as mentioned above. If your dog is happy mixing (not the cocktails hopefully) - keep an eye out for him becoming too excited and step in if that is the case.

Ground Rules: When your family and friends arrive, try laying down some house rules - ask your guests not to overfeed your dog or leave food and alcohol on the floor to help keep party food and drinks out of reach to your dog. But remember, when the booze is flowing, rules are out the window so be prepared in advance, you don't want to end up trying to pull a trapped object out of your dog's throat after he's just found himself a plateful under the chair.

Children: Letting off steam at Christmas is all part of the fun, they are off school, enjoying themselves, excited and often charging about. Parents are knackered, stressed out and tired. It's at times like this when dogs can be let down unintentionally and placed in awkward situations.

Please do not leave children and dogs alone attended-always make sure children and dogs are supervised by a competent adult at all times. If it is too much for your dog - just remove your dog from the situation, be vigilant and prevent accidents.
Exercise: Try your best to keep your dogs normal routine as much as possible – getting away from the washing up with the excuse of walking the dog does come in handy!

Fireworks are often used over the holiday season, especially on New Years Eve, read up on our firework advice here.

Extra people in and out increases the risk of your dog being let out of your home by mistake; always make sure doors are closed and that you know where your dog is - safely inside. Each year dogs go missing during the holiday period - is your dog wearing a collar and Id tag, is your dog identi-chipped?

Pain killers and human drugs for hangovers etc often get left lying around and these packets can be of interest to your dog, if you think your dog has swallowed-contact you vet.

Travelling: If you are visiting and taking your dog with you – don’t forget to pack his bag too! Check in advance that your dog is welcome, exercise beforehand to help him settle down when you get there, take a bit of his bedding, water bowl, own food, toy etc.

Record your vets number somewhere safe, just in case, be careful and give your dog a big hug from us this Xmas!

 

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to you all and your dogs!

 

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