As of the start of this week, police forces and local authorities have new legal powers designed to reduce the number of dog attacks.

For the first time, police and local authorities will be able to demand that owners take action to prevent a dog attack or risk fine of up to £20,000. If a complaint has been made about a dog to the council or police, its owners can be ordered to do any or all of the following:

• Attend dog training classes
• Muzzle the dog or require it to be on a lead in public
• Require the dog to be microchipped and/or neutered
• Repair fencing to prevent the dog leaving the property

The government has published a manual called Dealing with irresponsible dog ownership: practitioner's manual, to guide police forces and local authorities in the use of their new legal powers to prevent dog attacks.

Animal Welfare Minister Lord de Mauley said: "Dog attacks are devastating for victims and their families which is why we are taking tough action against those who allow them to happen. Police and local authorities will now have more powers to demand that irresponsible dog owners take steps to prevent attacks before they occur. This is on top of the tougher prison sentences we introduced earlier this year for owners who allow their dogs to attack people and assistance dogs."

The National Policing Lead for Dangerous Dogs, DCC Gareth Pritchard said: "The Practitioners Manual gives police officers and other practitioners clear guidance on how to best implement the legislative changes, especially the early preventative measures such as Community Protection Notices, to help prevent more serious events occurring in the future. It also provides a platform to share good practice between police forces and partner agencies and it will form part of the ongoing training of Dog Legislation Officers across England and Wales."

Photo credit: iStockphoto/Thinkstock.

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