Dangerous Dogs Act Seizures and Outcomes

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/26/009763/I

Version Date: 20/04/2026

The Operations Department and the Alliance Finance Department have provided the following information:

This request relates specifically to dogs seized on suspicion of being a prohibited type, not to those involved in offences under Section 3.

Please provide the following information for the period 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2025, or the most recent 5-year period available.

If providing 5 years of data would exceed the cost limit, please provide the same information for the most recent 3-year period instead.

1. Seizures and Outcomes
a) The total number of dogs seized under Section 1
b) Of those seized, the number:
          i - Disclaimed by the owner
         ii - Returned to the owner as not being of a prohibited type
        iii - Subject to a Contingent Destruction Order and added to the Index of Exempted Dogs
        iv - Ordered to be euthanised by the court

*Returned to owner as not Prohibited Type –  please note that this is not specifically recorded. The data entered is the number of dogs assessed as not of type. No information is held to determine if the dog was returned to the owner.

2. Timeframes
   a) The average time between seizure and formal assessment/typing decision
   b) The average time between seizure and final outcome (e.g. return, exemption, or destruction)
   c) Where available, the average time between seizure and return for dogs found not to be of a prohibited type
   
   No information held. The Dog Section within the Operations Department do not record timeline data.
3. Kennelling and Costs
   a) The average cost per dog per day for kennelling

£25 plus VAT at 20% and £26 + VAT.

1. b) The average length of stay in kennels for dogs seized under Section 1

No information held.

1. c) If available, the total annual cost of kennelling for Section 1 dogs

The following figures relate to the total costs under the Dangerous Dogs Act. We are unable to separate the costs specifically relating to Section 1.

• Jan 2020 -2021 - £ 11,138.57
• Jan 2021 -2022 - £ 60,625.47
• Jan 2022 – 2023 - £ 91,263.05
• Jan 2023- 2024 - £ 301,991.19
• Jan 2024 - 2025 - £ 310,670.85

4. Additional Context (if recorded)
   a) Where recorded, the number of Section 1 seized dogs with a prior recorded incident of aggression towards a person
   
   No information held.
5. Clarification
   If it is not possible to separate Section 1 data from other Dangerous Dogs Act data, please provide the closest available dataset and explain any limitations.