Dogs Act 1871

Long titleAn Act to provide further Protection against Dogs.

Citation34 & 35 Vict. c. 56

Territorial extentUnited Kingdom

Royal assent24 July 1871

Dogs Act 1871^[a]

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to provide further Protection against Dogs.
Citation	34 & 35 Vict. c. 56
Territorial extent	United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent	24 July 1871
Commencement	24 July 1871[b]
Repealed	Scotland: 26 February 2011 Northern Ireland[c]
Other legislation
Amended by	Statute Law Revision (No. 2) Act 1893 Dogs Act 1906 Dogs Amendment Act 1938 Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947 Rabies Act 1974 Dangerous Dogs Act 1989 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
Repealed by	Scotland: Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 Northern Ireland: Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983
Status: Amended
Records of Parliamentary debate relating to the statute from Hansard, at TheyWorkForYou
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Dogs Act 1871 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The Dogs Act 1871 (34 & 35 Vict. c. 56) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which deals with the handling of stray and dangerous dogs.

Section 1 of the act dealt with stray dogs – this section was repealed by the Dogs Act 1906 (6 Edw. 7. c. 32).

Section 2 is the only part still in force: it says that if a magistrates' court receives a complaint that a dog is dangerous, the court can order the dog to be destroyed, or it can order the owner to keep the dog under proper control, and if that order isn't followed, the court can impose a fine.

Section 3 dealt with rabid dogs – this part was repealed by the Rabies Act 1974.