New laws for dangerous dogs

Although we are pleased that the Government is finally addressing the problem of dangerous dogs, the measures announced today do not go far enough.

To provide real protection to the public we need the introduction of preventative measures, such as dog control notices, which would allow the authorities to step in before serious attacks take place.

We were hoping that all the fanfare around the dangerous dogs announcement this weekend would mean that positive action was on the way. Instead all we're getting is yet another consultation.

It's about time the law bit back to protect innocent dog attack victims. Thousands of postal workers and telecom engineers - along with other workers who go on to private property and parents of small children - desperately need the private property loophole closing so that they have some protection.

If only puppies were to be microchipped it could take many years for this to affect all dogs, and with scant detail from the Government on how this scheme will be enforced, will it make any difference?

How in real life will this tackle the thousands of irresponsible owners who will continue to unscrupulously breed and sell puppies, or abandon dogs with little thought for animal welfare?

Government must tackle this problem head on with completely new legislation, rather than just tinkering round the edges.

We're extremely disillusioned that there is nothing in the consultation on measures that will actually help to prevent dog attacks, which is surely what the aim of these proposals should be.

We are extremely concerned about the number of attacks on guide dogs by other dogs. There were 147 attacks on guide dogs between June 2010 and December 2011. The impact of such attacks can be devastating.

We believe that an attack on an assistance dog should be considered an attack on the person, to reflect the fact that a guide dog is a vital mobility aid and that such attacks are very distressing for people who are already vulnerable.