Complaints about aggressive or dangerous dogs

WQ.144/2018

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS BY DEPUTY C.S. ALVES OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 11th SEPTEMBER 2018

Question

Will the Minister advise –

1. how many complaints, if any, there have been regarding aggressive or dangerous behaviour by dogs towards other dogs or people in the last 5 years;
2. how many of these complaints, if any, have resulted in court proceedings; and
3. how many of any such proceedings have been awarded in favour of the complainant?

Answer

1. 2013 for the following offences:

• 57 incidents where the owner or somebody else walking the dog(s) has failed to keep control of the dog(s) and they were alleged to be dangerously out of control;
• 10 incidents of dogs worrying livestock;
• 3 incidents recorded under the Policing of the Beaches (Jersey) Regulations 1959 where a dog or dogs rush at, worry or otherwise interfere with the safety, comfort or convenience of another.

2. SOJP have recorded that 10 of the complaints were proceeded with at Court.
3. Rather than proceedings being awarded in favour of the complainant, there have been occasions where the Court has found that a dog is not under proper control and has made appropriate orders to keep the dog under proper control.

For context, up until 2016 all applications came by way of representation by an aggrieved person and the Court could only place an order on the dog – it was only after a breach of such an order that the owner became subject to a criminal offence.

In 2016 the States Assembly approved specific offences to deal with dog owners and/or carers, with the ability to place orders on dogs – these offences were brought by the Attorney General. The Magistrate can either order that the dog be destroyed or kept under proper control – with or without conditions. The table below shows the number of control and destruction orders made since 2014.