By Steve Bargeton, political editor

DOGS COULD face canine ASBOs and their owners long jail sentences if their animals pose a danger to the public under a tough new law proposed yesterday.

SNP MSP Alex Neil wants to update the law on dangerous dogs with measures like ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders) because it focuses on only four breeds.

“We need to focus on the deed, not the breed,” he said yesterday.

“My bill will offer a flexible range of control orders, an ASBO for dogs if you like, which contains practical measures which will stop dogs from getting out of control.

“Importantly, this bill puts the onus on the owners, not the dogs, to ensure that this does not happen.”

Mr Neil’s proposals were welcomed by the Scottish Government yesterday.

“Protecting the public is paramount and we will be considering the consultation paper very carefully,” said a spokesman.

Under Mr Neil’s bill in serious cases dog owners could face an unlimited fine and up to two years in jail.

Owners would also be liable to pay up to £5000 in compensation for injury or damage.

New control orders, “ASBOs for dogs”, could be issued to owners of dangerous animals requiring measures like muzzling, re-homing, and owners attending mandatory dog-training courses.

All dogs for which a control order has been issued would have to be microchipped and have details of their owner held on a database.

It would also become an offence for anyone in charge of a dog to allow it to be dangerously out of control, regardless of whether or not they are the owner.

Owners would be charged if their dog attacked another animal.

The offences would also apply everywhere.

If a dog kept in a secure garden attacked someone who climbed over the fence, the owner would have a defence of having taken all reasonable steps to prevent the public from accessing the area.

But this would not be a defence if the dog attacked a visitor like a postman or tradesman.

Launching his proposals yesterday Mr Neil said statistics showed the number of people treated in hospital for dog bites has doubled since the Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced in 1991.

By banning specific types, he claimed, the act gives the false impression that dogs which are not banned are not dangerous.

It also failed to cover attacks in a dog’s own home, and attacks on other animals were not a criminal offence.

Mr Neil cited the case of a swan attacked by a rottweiler which had to be put down, and a terrier which killed a badger cub.

In neither case were there criminal charges against the owners, he said.