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<p>The Government considers that the powers and measures contained within dangerous
dog legislation allow enforcers such as police and local authorities to take the necessary
action in order to prevent and tackle incidents of dangerous dogs. Local initiatives
such as Local Environmental Awareness on Dogs (LEAD) can also be adopted in areas
where police, local authorities and other interested parties can come together to
promote responsible dog ownership.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, early intervention measures
such as Community Protection Notices can be issued by local authority officers or
police to anyone causing low level anti-social behaviour involving a dog.</p><p> </p><p>The
Government last reviewed the law on dangerous dogs in 2014 and made a number of changes.
The changes included extending the scope of the offence of allowing a dog to be dangerously
out of control from public places to all places; increasing the maximum penalties
for allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control; when a dog causes injury or death
and when a dog attacks an assistance dog.</p><p> </p><p>The Government realises the
importance of quality research to help inform its policy, and in November 2018 Defra
commissioned further research in collaboration with Middlesex University to look at
responsible ownership across all breeds of dog. The research will consider different
approaches and the effectiveness of current dog control measures. The research will
also seek to identify and examine the factors and situations that may cause dog attacks
and how to promote responsible dog ownership.</p>
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