In 2010, Defra launched a public consultation on various proposals to review and streamline current legislation to improve public safety, improve enforcement and stop cruelty to dogs. The consultation considered:

• • repeal of the Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997 to avoid further necessity for the Index of Exempted Dogs (IED);

• • repeal of section 1 of the DDA 1991;

• • extension of section 3 of the DDA 1991 to cover private property;

• • introduction of compulsory microchipping;

• • introduction of compulsory third-party insurance;

• • provision of increased powers for the police and local authorities to address dangerous dogs through dog control notices;

• • removal of exemption rules that allow people to keep banned dogs or proposals to improve the working of the IED.

The consultation ran from 9 March 2010 to 1 June 2010, with the responses published in 2010. There were 4,250 responses, including the following curious feedback:

• • 63% of respondents answered ‘No’ to the question, ‘Do you think that the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 should be extended to cover all places, including private property where a dog is permitted to be?’

• • 88% did not think that breed-specific legislation (BSL) was effective in protecting the public but only 71% thought it should be repealed. The Association of Chief Police Officers, the Metropolitan Police Service and West Midlands Police thought current legislation effectively protected the public from dangerous dogs and (alongside the Greater London Authority) suggested that BSL should not be repealed.

• • 62% answered ‘No’ to the question, ‘Do you think that the exemption introduced by the 1997 amendment should be removed?’

• • 68% thought dog control notices might be an effective measure, but 54% did not think they should apply on private property.

• • 41% thought third-party insurance should be compulsory for all dog owners, and 84% thought all dogs should be microchipped.

• • 78% thought all legislation regarding dogs should be consolidated into a single piece of legislation.

• • 53% thought more effective enforcement of current legislation might improve the situation regarding dangerous dogs and 63% thought further training for police officers to become dog legislation officers might help improve the situation regarding dangerous dogs.

• • 29% thought BSL should be extended to include other breeds of dog.

• • 72% thought the government could do more to raise public awareness of existing legislation and 81% thought there were better ways for the government to communicate with the public, dog owners and owners of ‘status dogs’.