Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to introduce the ability to rehome section one listed dogs to prevent their euthanasia.

Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 prohibits the owning or keeping of four types of dog: the Pit Bull terrier, the Dogo Argentino, the Fila Brasileiro and the Japanese Tosa.

Despite the general prohibitions on these types of dog, an individual prohibited dog can be kept by its owner or by the person for the time being in charge of the dog if a court judges that the dog is not a danger to public safety. In its assessment, the court must consider the temperament of the dog and its past behaviour, whether the proposed keeper is a fit and proper person, and may consider any other relevant circumstances, such as whether the dog can be kept in a suitable environment. If the court considers these criteria to be met, the dog can be listed on the Index of Exempted Dogs and must be kept under strict conditions, including being on a lead and muzzled in public.

The Dangerous Dogs Exemption Schemes (England and Wales) Order 2015 sets out the circumstances where an exempted prohibited dog may be transferred to a new keeper should the current keeper become seriously ill or die. The Government is not planning to introduce additional abilities to enable exempted prohibited dogs to be transferred to new keepers.