Coroner raises alarm over dog licences

A concerned coroner has warned a council to take action to prevent more dog attacks after a two-year-old was mauled to death by a rottweiler.

Worcestershire’s senior coroner David Reid has told Wychavon District Council it needs to do more to root out “unscrupulous” dog breeders after learning that the current system does not go far enough to catch those selling without a licence.

Two-year-old Lawson Bond was mauled in the garden of his home in Egdon near Worcester last year by a rottweiler belonging to his dog breeder grandmother Maria Bond.

Mr Reid ruled on Monday (August 21) that Lawson’s death was the result of ‘misadventure’ after the two-year-old had managed to untie a security chain on a gate and entered a field used for exercising where he was then attacked.

The inquest held at Worcestershire Coroner’s Court in Stourport also heard that despite Maria Bond being a dog breeder and seller with more than 30 years of experience, she had never possessed, or even applied, for a licence.

Mr Reid said the fact that Ms Bond did not have a dog breeding licence did not contribute to Lawson’s death in any way, but he did criticise Wychavon District Council and Worcestershire Regulatory Services saying he was concerned they were not ‘proactively’ searching for dog breeders and sellers without licences and were instead waiting for tip-offs and complaints.

He said the public would continue to be at risk from “unscrupulous” and unlicensed breeders who might otherwise have not been selling if the council had been more hands-on and stepped in sooner.

Those concerns led the county’s senior coroner to reveal he would be submitting a ‘prevention of future death report’ to Wychavon District Council – which means he believes the council’s current licensing and enforcement system is ‘an area of concern’ and the council must take action to prevent further deaths in the future. “I’m concerned to hear that the council does not, at present, take a more proactive approach,” he told the inquest. “For example, by monitoring websites for adverts placed by those selling puppies within its area.

“It seems to me that it would be quite possible to specify searches in such a way as to concentrate on breeds which might give a greater cause for concern in terms of public safety.

“It might be thought that a regulatory authority would have less reason to be concerned about a ‘scrupulous’ dog breeder who applies for a dog breeding licence, than about a dog breeder who ignores the licensing scheme.

“And for that reason, I am concerned that unless Wychavon District Council takes action, there will remain a risk that unscrupulous breeders will continue to offer puppies and dogs for sale within its area, which presents a heightened risk of danger for the people that buy them and come into contact with them.”

Simon Wilkes, Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services, said: “First of all, I would like to offer my heartfelt sympathy to Lawson’s family and the loss that they are going through.

“Issues relating to dogs and all other animals that come under the scope of animal licensing are one of our top priorities and our intelligence team regularly checks for issues associated with dogs, feeding information and intelligence on emerging threats to the teams and recommending possible interventions, including the potential for addressing unlicensed breeding.

“We ran an intelligence development operation recently, focusing on identifying illegal dog breeding. We discovered a number of people trading on various pet-related websites who were dealt with accordingly.”

Senior coroner, David Reid, made a ruling that Lawson’s death was the result of ‘misadventure’ after the two-year-old untied a security chain on a gate separating the main garden from kennels and entered a field used for exercising, resulting in the attack. Mr Reid also advised that although the owner of the dogs, Ms Bond, did not have a dog breeding license, this did not contribute to Lawson’s death in any way. Sadly, Lawson’s death may have occurred whether the premises were licensed or not. West Mercia Police officers also reported that the dog facilities and security run by Ms Bond were “solid and well kept.”

Guidance from the government advises that breeders require a license to breed dogs in England if a person runs a business that breeds and advertises dogs for sale and/or breeds three or more litters in any 12-month period and sells any of the puppies.

Mr Wilkes continues, “Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) along with other local authorities nationally are pushing to make animal breeding guidance more enforceable – we are actively a part of the discussions around changing the regulations at a national level.

This is because the internet is now the dominant route for people to sell many types of products, including pets. Due to the variety of sites where breeders can sell animals on the internet, we also count on the public’s support to notify us about any potential illegal breeders as well as doing our own investigations. We can’t do this alone – it is not as simple as searching for people advertising dogs for sale, as under the law someone can potentially have several litters over an extended period of time without requiring a license.

“We also trust the public to do the right thing by researching the breeder before they visit to see the animals, and before they buy. The RSPCA has some great advice for anyone who is looking for a new pet – first to look at adopting or fostering from reputable charities. Then, if they still wish to purchase a healthy dog or puppy from a third party and/or breeder, they must ask to see the breeder’s Local Authority license and genuine paperwork/certificates for vaccinations, microchipping, worming and health tests. If a price looks too good to be true, it probably is, if a puppy or dog is for sale and it seems cheap, there is a risk that they may not be from a reputable source or may have been brought into the country illegally. We’d ask people not to unwittingly support this type of cruel puppy trade. Report it straight away.

Jayne Pickering, Deputy Chief Executive at Wychavon District Council, said: “I would like to express my profound sorrow at the loss of Lawson and pass my sympathies to his family at this deeply distressing time.

“Wychavon will continue to work with WRS to ensure that illegal traders of animals are held to account. Whilst I cannot say whether Ms Bond should have held a breeder’s license, I would encourage those who are looking to add a pet to their family to research and do stringent checks.”