Dangerous Dogs – What Next?
This session, presented by the Scottish Government, explored the current policy landscape around dangerous dogs and dog control in Scotland — a topic that sits across community safety, public health, and animal welfare in ways that make it genuinely complex to get right.
The session covered the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010, the opportunities to strengthen and improve it, and the role of digital tools like the Dog Control Notice (DCN) database in enabling more consistent enforcement. The introduction of new safeguards for XL Bully dogs was discussed, along with the operational challenges those safeguards have created in practice.
A Responsible Dog Ownership Summit held in September 2024 featured prominently — the session drew on its main discussion points, report, and recommendations, as well as plans for a future summit. Stakeholder engagement was a key theme, with the Scottish Government’s approach presented alongside specific opportunities for ongoing collaboration with SC Scotland and others working across community safety.
The cross-portfolio nature of the issue was acknowledged — dog control touches on housing, public space, community safety, and animal welfare policy simultaneously, which creates both challenges and opportunities for joined-up working.
If you’d like more information about this session or to request the presentation slides, please contact us at hello@scscotland.org.uk.
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