The number of people killed by dog bites has almost tripled since the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act in 1991, prompting campaigners to call for a change in the law to target behaviour rather than breed.
In the ten years before the act, 11 people were killed, but in the 26 years since there have been 73 deaths — an average of 2.8 a year compared with 1.1 — according to figures from Born Innocent, which wants the act reformed. It said that by focusing on banning specific breeds, the Act was misleading people into thinking that other dogs were safe and diverting attention away from irresponsible owners of any dog.
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Feb