)A LOOPHOLE in the law is to be closed so dog owners WILL face jail if their pet launches an attack in their homes.
Owners who fail to control pets in their house or garden will face a maximum two years in jail and a £5,000 fine. The move means more protection for kids bitten on a visit or for posties attacked while doing their rounds.
At present, it is against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control, but only in a public place.
Tomorrow, environment minister James Paice is expected to tell the Commons it will now be an offence for owners to fail to control pets at home.
A Government source told The Sun: “We’ve had a string of horrific cases where children have been savaged by dogs, but no recourse to law.
“There are also countless cases of postal staff, meter readers and other visitors badly hurt on private property.”
A get-out clause will exclude attacks on burglars or intruders.
The news comes days after it was revealed all puppies are to be fitted with £35 ID microchips.
More than 15 dog bite victims a day need hospital treatment — and one in six attacked is under ten. They include John Paul Massey, four, savaged to death at his gran’s Liverpool home in 2009.
