LONDON (TIP): The law should be “urgently”amended to protect the public, the Environment,Food and Rural Affairs Committee said.In a report, the MPs said they were not convincedministers were giving “sufficient priority” to dogcontrol.The government said it was bringing incompulsory microchipping for all dogs and giving thepolice more powers to investigate dog attacks.

The select committee, whose chair Anne McIntoshhas revealed she herself has been bitten by a dog,has been carrying out an investigation intogovernment plans to tackle recent rises in dogrelatedoffences and hospital admissions.Government officials estimate there are around210,000 people attacked by dogs in England everyyear.

‘Public concern’
Five children and one adult have been killed bydogs on private property since 2007 and the NHSspends around £3m a year treating dog attackinjuries.The Department for Environment, Food and RuralAffairs (DEFRA) has set out plans to make itcompulsory for all dogs to be microchipped from 2016and extend laws governing dog attacks to coverincidents on private property.The Dangerous Dogs Act, which was introduced in1991 after a spate of fatal attacks, currently onlycovers the behaviour of dogs on public land.