Two years after it was due to have been enforced, Portugal’s dangerous dogs’ legislation is in chaos, with key requisites being ignored. According to Observador website, the most important omission is the requirement for owners of dangerous dogs to take their animals for behavioural training with certified trainers. The Ministry of Agriculture claims it is still working on the fine print. Meantime, there are 19,382 “potentially dangerous dogs” in Portugal and a further 1,606 classified as “dangerous”.
As for legal cases taken out against owners of allegedly “dangerous dogs”, these have so far amounted to 1,658 since the law was ‘enforced’.
Veterinary authorities claim they have no data on any prison sentences that may have resulted from prosecutions, nor does there appear to be data on the number of dogs that have been officially destroyed as a result of complaints.
Only last week in the Algarve, two Pitbull-cross dogs were taken in by municipal authorities following a frightening attack on a Quarteira beach (click here http://portugalresident.com/panic-on-quarteira-beach-as-stray-pitbull-cross-dogs-attack-beachgoers). Elsewhere, the media has reported endless cases of people maimed by dog attacks (click here http://portugalresident.com/unemployed-owner-of-baby-killer-dog-ordered-to-pay-%E2%82%AC105000-in-damages)
