Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill

Key Points

• Redefines what counts as livestock worrying so dogs can be held more clearly accountable for worrying livestock.
• Gives investigators broader powers to pursue suspected livestock-worrying offences.
• Raises penalties, with an amendment allowing unlimited fines for a conviction; a separate proposed cap on fines for repeat offenders was not debated in Committee.
• Clause 1 amendment approved as a consequence of Amendment 2, linking the changes to the broader offence reforms.
• The unlimited-fines change was agreed at Report Stage; the cap-for-repeat-offenders amendment was not called in Committee.

Progress

The bill has completed Commons stages (2nd reading, Committee, Report, and 3rd reading) and has moved to the Lords, where it has begun with a 1st reading on 20 May 2024.