Sweden - Government to ban unsuitable dog owners

Published: 19th March 2007 08:49 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/6728/

The government is to propose banning certain individuals from owning dogs.

In a proposal to tackle the problem of dangerous dogs, Agriculture Minister Eskil Erlandsson has made a four-step recommendation.

Any dogs that show signs of posing a danger must be kept on a leash at all times. If this does not prove sufficient, a muzzle is to be used.

A third step involves removing the dog from its owner. Finally, any owners deemed inappropriate are to be barred from owning dogs in the future.

Despite the fact that fighting dogs are over-represented in dog-bite statistics, a ban on individual breeds is not under consideration.

While fighting dogs make up just one percent of all dogs registered in Sweden, ten percent of attacks reported to police involve these breeds. According to Eskil Erlandsson, however, the problem lies with individual owners rather than specific breeds.

The government is to put forwards its bill on the responsibilities of dog-owners before the summer.