Getting the police to actively pursue folk with potentially dangerous dogs is wishful thinking - the best we can realistically hope for is they will act when a dog becomes a clear and present data, hopefully before an attack.

I am not a dog person, will never own one, and will only very occasionally even have one in the house., although I accept that many feel differently.

An alternative solution to control of dangerous dogs would be make owners fully responsible in law for the actions of their pets. Death resulting from a dog attack is manslaughter. Serious injury is GBH. More minor injuries an assault.

I am aware that inappropriate behaviour by those subsequently attacked may contribute to the incident and should be taken into account in sentencing. This would not apply when children are attacked (say 12 and below).

Owners would very rapidly understand the consequences of failing to properly tran and manage their pets!

I'm old enough to remember Dog Licences, I think 5 shillings in the 1950s.

At least it provided a list of names and addresses of dog owners and people were fined for not having a licence. (hard to believe, nowadays)

Seems to me that a lot of people choose a dog as a fashion/lifestyle accessory. They choose the dog based solely on what it looks like with no thought towards it's inherent nature and/or requirements re stimulation and exercise. As was mentioned earlier, these owners think their responsibility extends only as far as feeding it.

I have lots of customers who have dogs and, for by far the most part I always get on great with them. But I had one customer, not sure what breed the dog was but possibly Rhodesian Ridgeback, and I did not trust it one little bit!. Most times when I am cleaning the windows and there is a dog inside, the dog is fixated on my brush. But this dog, it would look straight at my face. Because of the way it was looking at me, I had absolutely no doubt that it would go for me given the chance. After a couple of near misses where I'd went round the back only to notice the French doors were open (and beat a very hasty retreat), it was agreed that I'd txt the customer the night before to make sure the dog was in and the doors closed. Anyway, towards the end of last year she said that the dog had been put down because it went for one of her friends. I didn't say so, but it really did not surprise me.

But in 14 years i have only been bitten once by a customers dog (touch wood), that was a Bichon Frise.