Protecting Your Furry Companions
We know how distressing it can be if your loved animal is taken from you and faces potentially permanent seizure, kennelling or destruction.
How we can help
Tailored Legal Advocacy
Trust in our seasoned consultants to craft a strategic defence tailored to the specific circumstances of dangerous dog and animal welfare charges. Your pets deserve a meticulous and compassionate approach to ensure the best possible outcome for both them and you.
Client-Centric Approach
Experience our unwavering commitment to securing the well-being of your pets. We invest time and expertise into developing a defence that aligns with your unique circumstances, ensuring a compassionate voice in the face of distressing accusations.
Collaborating with Animal Specialists
Engage with professionals dedicated to the welfare of animals. Our team collaborates with expert dog therapists and behaviourists to comprehensively address the unique aspects of cases involving dangerous dogs and animal welfare.
Dangerous dogs legislation. The law applies to all dogs.
There is a range of legislation used to deal with the welfare of animals, in particular the control of dogs. A disqualification order can be extremely onerous, whereby you are excluded from owning a dog for a number of years. We strive to represent our clients and work with expert dog therapists and dog behaviourists to defend these cases to achieve the best possible results for the owner and their respective families.
Here for you and your furry friend
We advise a range of clients in relation to potential offences under the legislation. Sometimes, the unintended consequences of pet and, in particular, dog ownership, can leave families, including persons in temporary charge of dogs at the relevant time, susceptible to criminal prosecution if the dog is considered to be out of control.
Contact us nowCriminal Defence: Finalists in Criminal Defence Firm of the Year at the Scottish Legal Awards 2022. We’ve also finalised for Crime Team of the Year 2023 at the first Legal 500 Scotland Awards.
Top-Rated: We’re the top-rated law firm in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the West of Scotland. We are rated 4.9/5 stars with 1000+ reviews on ReviewSolicitors.
Trusted: Rated Band 1 for Crime by Chambers and Partners, and Tier 2 in the Legal 500 for Crime. Regularly trusted and instructed by leading law firms to represent their clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding the law
The act prohibits certain types of dogs and allowing a dog of any type to be dangerously out of control in a public place or a private place where it is not allowed to be.
A dog does not have to attack a person or another animal to be out of control. Your dog is out of control if:
- you do not keep it under control effectively and consistently
- its behaviour causes someone to fear for their own safety or that of another person or animal.
You may not be keeping your dog under control if:
- your dog’s behaviour causes alarm and fear
- you leave it alone in public places or you let it stray
- it does not come back when you call it
- it nips or bites another person for any reason (your dog should wear a muzzle if you think it may bite)
- you do not put it on a lead or keep it under close control around sheep.
Working hard to achieve the best possible outcome for you, always
