Lesley Griffiths, Minister for Rural Affairs, and North Wales and Trefnydd
Last month I hosted a summit and workshop on Responsible Dog Ownership: Action on Dangerous Dogs. I was joined by Local Authority and Police representatives, Third Sector members and experts to discuss specific issues around ownership, which is key to ensuring dogs are properly cared for, trained and controlled.
We heard from a range of speakers, including Rob Taylor, Rural Crime and Wildlife
Co-ordinator and Emma Whitfield, Jack Lis’s mother, who spoke very bravely about the effect of losing her son in a dog attack has had on her and her family and what she feels needs to be done to better protect people. A workshop style session was held where participants discussed themes which aimed to understand responsible dog ownership in Wales and how we work in partnership with Local Authorities, the Police and Animal Welfare charities.
A number of early recommendations have been put forward from the workshop session of the summit including but not limited to:
- How Police Forces prioritise and report dog-related incidents
- Update and future-proof Dog Breeding Regulations
- Introduce formal recording of dog attacks/livestock worrying.
- Consider dog control notices.
- Identify post-March 2024 funding for the Wales-wide Serious Organised Crime Illegal Breeding (CABAL) Investigation and Intelligence work.
Responsible dog ownership is vital for all breeds of dog. My officials will continue to work closely with Third Sector organisations and Local Authority colleagues to promote responsible dog ownership and to deliver the short, medium and long term actions highlighted in the Summit. My officials will also keep under constant review what we can do here in Wales to prevent the dangers posed by irresponsible dog ownership.
I am planning to host a follow up Summit in the New Year to reconvene with participants.