Owners of dangerous dogs which attack people in public will face stiffer penalties from today [20 August], including up to 18 months in prison.
The new guidelines – for judges dealing with people convicted of being owners of dangerously out of control dogs which harm others in a public place – mean tougher sentences which could see more offenders jailed or given community orders and fewer discharged.
Courts will also be encouraged to ban irresponsible owners who put the public at risk from keeping dogs, order dangerous dogs to be put down and arrange compensation for victims under the rules brought in by the Sentencing Council, an independent body of the Ministry of Justice…