A joint inquiry will take place on October 7 between Members of the Environmental Scrutiny Committee and the Community and Adult Services Committee on the ‘Control of Dangerous Dogs in Cardiff’. The Task and Finish Group is asking the public for their views as part of the debate and is asking residents to email [email protected] by October 15.
This topic is high on the political agenda and was debated at Full Council on June 27. Dog fouling was also discussed by scrutiny in January 2013 as part of the ‘Litter in Cardiff’ debate and is part of the Council’s crack down on litter through the zero tolerance approach, branded through the ‘Usual Suspects’ Campaign.
Dangerous dogs are an emotive issue with any attack hitting national headlines. The inquiry will consider the scale of the problem in Cardiff; consider current arrangements and legislation, as well as looking at the current resources in place to manage this issue. The inquiry also intends to explore other possible methods of service delivery, looking at best practice from other areas, with a focus on education and possible partnership working.
Councillor Paul Mitchell, Chairman of the Task and Finish Group is asking the public for their views so these can be considered alongside information presented at the meeting.
Councillor Mitchell explained:
“It is essential to explore the current extent of the problem in Cardiff given the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill in entering the report stage in the House of Commons. It contains important amendments to the Dangerous Dogs Act, such as improving access to public land to remove dogs that are perceived to be dangerous and reducing the number of orders to control anti-social and criminal behaviour.
“We need to be satisfied that the proposed Community Protection Orders and Amendments in the Bill will give the Council the tools it requires to tackle this problem or whether we need to explore other solutions such as the Dog Control Notices used in Scotland.”
