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Dangerous dogs laws must be extended to cover private property to lead "a change of mentality", a Labour MP has said.
Geoffrey Robinson (Lab, Coventry NW) said the debate had been welcomed from all parties within the house and all areas in the country.
Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate on the regulation of dangerous dogs, Robinson referred to the case of constituent Sarah Foskett, whose daughter Alisha needed more than 30 stitches after she was bitten by a Staffordshire bull terrier.
The owner of the dog in the case refused to have the dog looked at or under care of the RSPCA whilst it underwent training, he told MPs.
Robinson said Foskett was frustrated the attack in June was exempt from criminal law because it happened on private property.
He said no action could be taken under existing legislation, which was why the government should amend legislation to cover the incidence of attacks in private property by dangerous dogs on individuals.
Robinson said he had a clear statement from the prime minister David Cameron that backed the change.
Margot James (Con, Stourbridge) said it was the owner that was often the problem, and not the dog itself and called for laws to be changed to tackle "irresponsible dog ownership".
Responding for the government, defra minister Richard Benyon confirmed that the government would make an announcement soon on reforming measures for dealing with dangerous dogs.
The minister said the government recognised the immense pressures faced by dog rescue centres as they saw an increasing rise in the number of Staffordshire crosses bull breeds.
He referred to these as so-called "status dogs" and said if they could be called "stupid people’s dogs" it might be more relevant.
The minister noted that very often these dogs were cruelly abandoned by their owners.
He said there were "no easy answers" to tackle the problem of dangerous dogs and the government did not want to rush into changes to the existing law, and it hoped that any changes would have a real impact.
Benyon said ministers were continuing to work across government and with key stakeholders such as the police, local authorities, the Dogs Trust, RSPCA, Battersea dogs and cats homes and the Kennel Club.
He noted that not all the organisations shared the same view on how the law should be changed, but all had been helpful in refining the thinking on what should be done.
On micro-chipping, he said there were benefits – including the ability to identify the owner of a dog that had become dangerously out of control.
Benyon confirmed that ministers and officials were working with the Home Office to ensure that dogs were not overlooked under the new framework.
He said the department would receive the precise details from the Home Office within the next month.
The minister concluded by saying local action was key to tackle the problem of irresponsible dog ownership.
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