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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/23/dangerous-dog-laws-private-land
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Dangerous dog laws to be widened to cover attacks on private land | Dangerous dog laws to be widened to cover attacks on private land |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Postal, health and social workers, meter readers and others who are attacked by dogs while lawfully on private property have been promised extra protection by ministers. | Postal, health and social workers, meter readers and others who are attacked by dogs while lawfully on private property have been promised extra protection by ministers. |
| About 4,000 "posties" are thought to be among the 210,000 people attacked by dogs each year in England, while there have been five fatal attacks in homes since 2007, four of them on children. The number of patients treated in hospital for dog bites has more than doubled in a decade to over 6,100 a year. | About 4,000 "posties" are thought to be among the 210,000 people attacked by dogs each year in England, while there have been five fatal attacks in homes since 2007, four of them on children. The number of patients treated in hospital for dog bites has more than doubled in a decade to over 6,100 a year. |
| The government is proposing to extend existing dangerous dog legislation, which covers attacks on public land, to private property. It will also consider whether to extend compulsory microchipping to all dogs. Two in five dogs are not chipped at present. | The government is proposing to extend existing dangerous dog legislation, which covers attacks on public land, to private property. It will also consider whether to extend compulsory microchipping to all dogs. Two in five dogs are not chipped at present. |
| But the coalition was criticised for not consulting on the measures until mid-June, the second such consultation on dangerous dogs in two years. | But the coalition was criticised for not consulting on the measures until mid-June, the second such consultation on dangerous dogs in two years. |
| Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union said: "We were hoping that all the fanfare around the dangerous dogs announcement this weekend would mean that positive action was on the way. Instead all we're getting is yet another consultation." | Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union said: "We were hoping that all the fanfare around the dangerous dogs announcement this weekend would mean that positive action was on the way. Instead all we're getting is yet another consultation." |
| In this period, he said, 12 postal workers would be attacked every day, with many having no protection in law as 70% of attacks took place on private property. "Thousands of postal workers and telecom engineers – along with other workers who go on to private property and parents of small children– desperately need the private property loophole closing so that they have some protection. Government action is well overdue and thousands of people have suffered debilitating injuries while [it] has dragged its feet." | In this period, he said, 12 postal workers would be attacked every day, with many having no protection in law as 70% of attacks took place on private property. "Thousands of postal workers and telecom engineers – along with other workers who go on to private property and parents of small children– desperately need the private property loophole closing so that they have some protection. Government action is well overdue and thousands of people have suffered debilitating injuries while [it] has dragged its feet." |
| Those currently found guilty face a fine of £5,000, or two years in jail. Sentencing guidelines are expected next month. | Those currently found guilty face a fine of £5,000, or two years in jail. Sentencing guidelines are expected next month. |
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