20/05/2026
Wise words at the very end of this post for anyone considering getting a dog…
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What happens after a dog attack?
The officer in this picture is PC Craig Leach, one of our Dog Legislation Officers, or DLOs.
He’s the one who gets called when a dog is dangerously out of control and is a potential threat to other people around them.
When a dog attack happens, Craig’s aim is to get to the scene as quickly as possible.
On the way, he’ll be giving advice to officers on the ground to contain the dog before he gets there.
That’s easier said than done in an open space, but in a house, that usually means shutting the doors and preventing the dog’s escape.
We’ll always prioritise non-lethal options like corralling the dog into a secure “pod” or using a sedative dart to calm them before moving them to a secure kennel.
When it comes to the owners, it’s rare that they will be happy when their dog is seized – Craig said he’s been on “plenty of jobs where people have stood in the street with serious injuries, and they still can’t believe we’re seizing their dog”.
However, it’s possible for owners to sign a disclaimer, which hands the dog’s possession over to the police.
PC Leach and the DLOs have had some situations where it would have been possible to have rehomed a dog had it been handed over after the first incident of a dog bite without serious injury.
The default position for a court with a dog that has breached the Dangerous Dog Act 1991 is that the dog should be destroyed. This order can be opposed by meeting a safety test if there’s sufficient evidence around the temperament of the dog, whether the owner is fit and proper, and any other circumstances the court considers reasonable.
The DLO can support in providing evidence for this, potentially preserving the life of the dog in some circumstances.
For dog owners out there, he has this advice:
“Be the best dog owner that you can be. Choose a dog that you can handle, a breed that fits within your lifestyle.
“Be prepared for training and enriching that dog, not just possessing it.
“A dog owner’s role is to protect their dog from the public, and not just the public from their dog. When both these things happen, everyone stays safe.”
