Dog Attacks on the Rise in Britain

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - Preventative measures are being taken in Britain due to the rise of dog attacks. More than 100 people a week are being sent to the hospital from these attacks reports AOL News .

Not only are dog attacks on the rise, but also dog fighting and illegal ownership. Particularly by gangs who want to use the dogs as a status symbol reports the BBC .

Home Secretary Alan Johnson told the BBC, "What most dog owners recognize is that what's going on is cruelty to animals. Other dogs are being treated abysmally because of this fashion for 'status dogs', which has been the main issue over the last five or six years."

According to AOL News , the British government is proposing a law that will require all dog owners to microchip, insure and perhaps even muzzle their dog. They hope that this will help solve the problem.

In 1991, the The Dangerous Dogs Act was passed in Britain and banned the breeding or sale of four breeds: pit bull terriers, Japanese tosas, the dogo argentinos, and the fila brasileiros reports the Independent .

The act also states even dogs that "appear" to be bred for fighting are also outlawed. In addition, if the owner of the dog injures someone, the owner can be jailed for up to two years.

With this new proposition, the BBC reports that the proposal of dog insurance might be "more difficult than it looks" according to Nick Starling who is apart of the Association of British Insurers.

Starling said, "There is currently no stand-alone third-party insurance cover for the owners of dangerous dogs, and no desire by insurers to provide cover against this very high risk." He also said that it would be difficult to enforce the law on owners of dangerous dogs even if it was required.

The Associated Press reports that Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Italy, Portugal and Norway already have laws requiring microchip identification. And the Telegraph reports that those countries have seen a dramatic decrease of stray dogs and more accountability for the actions of dogs by their owners – even the "dangerous" dogs.