A complaint was made to the Swansea Justices, under section 2 of the 1871 Act, in relation to the conduct of a dog which had been seen to kill sheep and lambs. The Justices dismissed the complaint on the basis that no evidence had been adduced before them to show that the dog was dangerous to mankind.
Held: The Court remitted the matter to them to hear and deal with the complaint on its merits. Lord Alverstone CJ said: ‘Having regard to the fact that the previous legislation, namely, the Dogs Act, 1865, shews that the intention was to protect people’s property, I can see no reason why the word ‘dangerous’ in s. 2 of the Act of 1871 should be construed as meaning only ‘dangerous to mankind”
Judges:
Lord Alverstone C
Citations:
[1907] 2 KB 88
Statutes:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Animals
Updated: 18 May 2022; Ref: scu.616609