FARO HAS been named as having the second largest concentration of potentially dangerous dogs in the country.
Lisbon topped the list and Setúbal and Porto were ranked third and fourth respectively. According to the Minister of Agriculture a potentially dangerous dog means any of the following:
Any dog which, when unprovoked on two separate occasions engages in any behavior that requires a defensive action by any person to prevent bodily injury when the person and dog are off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog.
Any dog which, when unprovoked, bites a person causing a minor injury.
Any dog which, when unprovoked, on two separate occasions has killed, seriously bitten, inflicted injury or otherwise caused injury attacking a domestic animal off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog.
The Ministry of Agriculture was prompted to release the figures after a woman was killed by four Rottweilers close to her house in Casal da Granja in Sintra on March 21. She died as a result of her injuries.
According to the national statistics, from the Sistema de Identificação de Caninos e Felinos (SIFCAFE), in Faro there are 618 potentially dangerous animals and 66 dangerous ones, while in Lisbon 1,003 are considered to be potentially dangerous and 70 considered dangerous.
The Ministry of Agriculture stated that the owners of these animals are directly responsible for their actions and are punishable by law.
The law states that owners must take “special vigilance” and should not put the physical health of any other human or animal at risk at any time.
Furthermore, owners must hold a license, relevant insurance and keep the animals on a short leash and muzzle when taking them out in public.
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