09/06/2026
The government are making rules / law, for common sense because in todays society, finding someone with common sense is hard to find 🤦♂️
🐕 A new dog ban rule will come into force from November 1, 2026, in a bid to protect children.
❌ The rule announced today will see people banned from leaving anyone under 12 alone with a dangerous dog.
Anyone leaving a child with a dangerous dog could be banned from having pets and face prosecution.
The rule will be part of the conditions for keeping an exempt dog - a dog banned under the rules but 'allowed' by the law so long as owners follow strict rules, The Sun reports.
Animal Welfare Minister Baroness Hayman said: “No child should ever be left alone with a dangerous dog. These rules are about putting safety of children first.”
A Statutory Instrument bringing in the change is to be laid before Parliament today. It comes after dog attacks have nearly doubled since the pandemic with more than three an hour.
In 2025 , new data obtained by the Mirror found at least 29,400 out-of-control dog attacks causing injury offences were recorded by police, equivalent to 81 a day, or 3.4 every hour. That is a five per cent increase on the number of attacks recorded in 2024 - the year XL Bully dogs were banned - when police logged 28,000 attacks. Before Covid just over 16,000 were recorded.
In the UK, it is illegal to own, breed, sell, or abandon five types of dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991: the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, and American XL Bully. Whether a dog is a banned type depends on its physical characteristics rather than its breed name.
If a court or previous exemption allows you to keep a banned dog type, you must adhere to strict conditions, or the dog can be seized and destroyed.
To legally keep an exempted dog:
- Must be microchipped: The dog must be registered.
- Must be neutered: Proof must be submitted to the government (neutering rules are strictly enforced).
- Must be kept on a lead and muzzled: This applies at all times whenever the dog is in a public place.
- Must be kept in a secure place: The property must be secure enough to prevent the dog from escaping.
- Must be insured: You must purchase third-party liability insurance against your dog injuring other people.
- Owner requirements: The owner must be over 16 years old.
You must also be prepared to show your Certificate of Exemption whenever requested by a police officer or council dog warden.
The ban on leaving a dangerous dog with a child will be added to this list of rules.
✍ Neil Shaw
