The word "dangerous dog" can be interpreted in many different ways but, for the purposes of deciding who will deal with a complaint, these incidents can be put into 5 categories;

1. A bite to a person that has broken the skin. Although the council may work with the Police in these cases, this should be reported to Hampshire Police on 101. It is also recommended that the person bitten seeks medical attention.
2. A bite to a person that has not broken the skin. This should be reported to Winchester City Council.
3. A bite to another animal, including other dogs or cats. This should be reported to Winchester City Council.
4. An attack on livestock. There is specific legislation to deal with this - the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 This should be reported to Hampshire Police on 101
5. A dog that acted aggressively but did not bite or inflict any damage. This is not something that either the Police or the council would normally be able to help with but in some circumstances we can. You are welcome to contact Winchester City Council to discuss it.

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 makes it an offence for a dog to be "dangerously out of control". This means there has to be good reason to believe that a dog would bite or directly injure a person. However, this law is only likely to be used in the most severe cases that are dealt with in category 1 above.

Where a complaint is made to the council, our aim will be to visit the dog owner and to prevent any such incidents happening again.

It is against the law to own the following breeds under section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991:

• Any dog known as a pitbull type (eg American Pitbulls, Blue Nose Pitbulls, Red Nose Pitbulls);
• The type of dog known as the XL Bully (see below);
• Japanese Tosa;
• Fila Brasileiro;
• Dogo Argentino.

It’s also against the law to:

• sell a banned dog;
• abandon a banned dog;
• give away a banned dog;
• breed from a banned dog.

There is more information about banned breeds on the Government website.

Should you wish to report someone for an offence under this section, you should report this to Hampshire Police by calling 101.

As of 31 December 2023, the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was amended and “the type of dog known as the XL Bully” was added to the banned breeds list (see above). It is now illegal to:

• Breed, or breed from, XL Bullys;

• Sell or exchange an XL Bully;

• Give an XL Bully away;

• Abandon an XL Bully or allow it to stray;

• Own an XL Bully without a valid certificate of exemption (this needs to have been obtained by 31 January 2024).

To keep an XL Bully dog it must be:

• microchipped;
• kept on a lead and muzzled at all times when in public;
• kept in a secure place so it cannot escape;
• neutered (please read Government guidance on this Confirm an XL Bully dog has been neutered - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Blue Cross, RSPCA and Battersea are jointly providing a scheme to help those in need with neutering of an exempted XL Bully:

Support for Neutering an XL Bully Type Dog | Blue Cross

As the owner, you must also:

• be over 16 years old;
• take out third party public liability insurance against your dog injuring other people;
• be able to show the Certificate of Exemption when asked by a police officer or a council dog warden, either at the time or within 5 days.

More information on the Government website about the ban:

Ban on XL Bully dogs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

There is also information about identifying the type of dog known as the XL Bully:

XL Bully conformation standard - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Compensation scheme – If you had your XL Bully euthanised on or before 31 January 2024, please read: Claim compensation for an XL Bully dog - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Please note that Winchester City Council officers will not respond to calls to identify an XL Bully. Such enquiries should go to Hampshire Police by calling 101 or via their website.

For Hampshire Police, ring 101 or make a report via their webpage here. 

To contact the Council's Animal Welfare Team, call 01962 848097 or ermail EHealth@winchester.gov.uk