Guard Dog

Guard dog in Law Enforcement

Main Entry: Law Enforcement in the Legal Dictionary. This section provides, in the context of Law Enforcement, a partial definition of guard dog.

Resources

See Also

• Law Enforcement Officer
• Police Work
• Law Enforcement Agency

Further Reading

• guard dog in A Dictionary of Law Enforcement (Oxford University Press)
• guard dog in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement
• A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis

English Legal System: Guard Dog

In the context of the English law, A Dictionary of Law provides the following legal concept of Guard Dog : A dog kept specifically for the purpose of protecting people, property, or someone who is guarding people or property. Under the Guard Dogs Act 1975 it is a summary offence punishable by fine to use a guard dog, or to allow its use, unless either it is secured and cannot roam the premises freely or a handler is controlling it. The Act does not, however, affect civil liability for injuries or damage caused by the dog, which depends on the law of tort (See classification of animals). In some cases the owner may be criminally liable for injury caused by a guard dog; for example, if it kills someone, the owner may be guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence or of constructive *manslaughter.

See also dangerous animals.