Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025

2 Seizure and detention of dogs E+W

(1) For section 2 of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 substitute—

“2 Seizure and detention of dogs

Dog found without owner or person in charge

(1) A constable may seize a dog if—

(a) they have reasonable grounds to believe that the dog has attacked or worried livestock on agricultural land or on a road or path, and

(b) nobody present where the dog is found admits to being the dog’s owner or in charge of it.

(2) A constable may detain a dog seized under subsection (1) until the owner has claimed it and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its seizure and detention.

(3) If the owner of the dog does not claim it and pay those expenses before the end of the period of seven days beginning with the day after the day on which the dog was seized under subsection (1), a constable may dispose of the dog.

(4) If the constable disposes of the dog by giving it or selling it to a person acting in good faith, that person becomes the owner of the dog.

(5) The chief officer of police for each police area must keep, or cause to be kept, a register of all dogs seized under subsection (1) in their area, containing the following information—

(a) a brief description of the dog;

(b) the date of seizure of the dog;

(c) if the dog is disposed of under subsection (3), how.

(6) Each register kept under subsection (5) must be available, at all reasonable times, for inspection by the public free of charge.

(7) For the purposes of this section, “disposing of” a dog includes—

(a) causing it to be disposed of, and

(b) destroying it or causing it to be destroyed,

but does not include disposing of it for the purposes of vivisection.

Dog posing continuing threat

(8) A constable may seize a dog if they have reasonable grounds to believe that—

(a) the dog has attacked or worried livestock on agricultural land or on a road or path, and

(b) unless it is detained, there is a risk that the dog could attack or worry livestock again.

(9) A constable may detain a dog seized under subsection (8)—

(a) until an investigation has been carried out into whether an offence under section 1 has been committed by reason of the dog attacking or worrying livestock, or

(b) if proceedings are brought in respect of such an offence, until those proceedings have been determined or withdrawn.”

(2) Section 3 of the Dogs Act 1906 (seizure of stray dogs), so far as still in force by virtue of section 68(2) of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, is repealed.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 2 in force at 18.3.2026, see s. 5(2)