Dangerous dogs crackdown carried out by police (From Times Series)

Dangerous dogs crackdown carried out by Barnet police in Mill Hill and West Hendon

6:45pm Tuesday 9th March 2010 in News By Kevin Bradford

A CRACKDOWN on potentially dangerous dogs was carried out by police today.

On the day the Government announced it was looking at amending laws relating to dangerous breeds, Barnet police visited a number of properties in the borough where unruly dogs were believed to be kept.

Officers from West Hendon and Mill Hill Safer Neighbourhood Teams targeted ten addresses following intelligence that had been gathered from neighbours and previous police operations.

The series of door knocks formed part of the on-going Operation BARK (Barnet Action for Responsible K9s), which was brought in about 18 months ago to target irresponsible ownership and reduce the number of dogs being used by gangs as status symbols.

After initially targeting specific areas and owners, officers leading the project say they are now carrying out more advisory work to ensure people keep dogs correctly and reduce the risk of the pet being seized.

Police today inspected a total of ten dogs, eight of which were at an address and two on the streets, and found three prohibited pitball type dogs. Further investigations will be carried out to discover whether a warrant needs to be gained which would allow officers to take the animals away.

Sergeant Roger Mitham, who has led BARK since it started, said the number of reports of dog attacks on people and other animals had fallen.

He said: “If we can advise people about how to comply with legislation then that is preferable to enforcement.

“If we then go back and they have not taken on board the welfare advice then we need to carry out enforcement under the dangerous dogs act, which can lead to the seizure of the dogs.

“Dangerous dogs are not just a Barnet issue, it is a national issue. If we can get the information across early it should mean less enforcement is needed.

“Our goal is to get to where we don't have to seize dogs because there won't be any unregistered dogs in the borough. With an equal balance between the advice side and enforcement, I would like to see no reports of anti-social behaviour by dogs across the borough.”

New Government plans could see dog owners forced to buy insurance for their pets and councils and police given the authority to muzzle or neuter dangerous animals.

Jan Eachus, RSPCA dangerous dog project officer, was on the police operation today to check on animal welfare at some of the addresses, and said more guidance is needed to ensure people are aware of how to be responsible owners.

He said: “Through the BARK project Barnet is a very progressive borough in promoting responsible dog ownership. Every local authority has its problems but Barnet is one of those taking the lead in trying to stem the flow of irresponsible owners.

“A number of people we visit with dogs are not aware they are doing anything wrong. Dogs are not born dangerous, they become dangerous because they are neglected, abused or through bad management.

“Any new legislation has to consider responsible dog owners, the protection of members of the public and include consideration of protected animals.”