It is an offence against the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 not to keep a dog under control. A dog may be considered dangerous if it:

• injures someone
• makes someone think it may injure them
• is unsocialised
• escapes from a premises
• displays aggression off lead
• bares its teeth or raises its hackles
• has no recall training
• cannot be controlled
• worries livestock

A dog is not considered dangerous if it attacks another animal, such as a dog-on-dog attack.

Banned breeds

A dog may also be considered dangerous if it is one of the following specific breeds:

• Pit Bull Terrier
• Dogo Argentino
• Japanese Tosa
• Fila Brasileiro
• XL Bully

If you think your neighbour's dog is a banned breed, report it to Kent Police.

Report a dangerous dog

If a dangerous dog has attacked you or your dog, seek medical or veterinary attention as soon as possible. If it is an emergency, call 999. If it is not an emergency, please let us know.

You will need to tell us:

• what happened
• where it happened
• the owner's details if you know them
• any evidence you might have, for example, photos
• if you would be happy to provide a witness statement to support our investigation

Report

What happens next

Reports are reviewed and assessed within three working days and are dealt with on a priority basis.

If you have agreed to provide a witness statement to support enforcement action, an officer will discuss this when they contact you. We aim to respond to all reports within ten working days.

If you have agreed to allow the contents of your report to be shared with partner agencies, they may contact you directly.

We can look at restricting what dogs can do in a public space, for example, banning dogs from the area or requiring them to be on leads. This is known as a Public Spaces Protection Order.

Livestock worrying

‘Worrying’ is where a dog attacks or chases livestock, causing injury or suffering. It is a criminal offence and comes under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953. A farmer is allowed to protect their livestock. This may include killing a dog if it is chasing or attacking its animals.

Cases of livestock worrying are investigated by the police; however, you can also report them to us.