TWENTY-five years ago the Dangerous Dogs Act became law in response to a string of gruesome attacks on children by “killer” dogs, particularly pit bull terriers.

It was supposed to outlaw certain types of dogs and make tragic deaths and disfiguring canine assaults a thing of the past.

Yet a quarter of a century on critics say the 1991 law is among the worst pieces of legislation ever, a poorly thought-out knee-jerk reaction rushed through Parliament without proper scrutiny.

However its supporters argue that it was necessary and has improved the situation.

What it has not done is stop dog attacks, as graphically demonstrated in Southampton over the past few weeks.

Sharyn Randall (below) was taking her pet Staffordshire terrier, Dappa, for a walk when she was savaged by an American pit bull in Westridge Road, Portswood.

The dog went straight for her head with such ferocity the mum-of-three said it left her “face hanging off”.

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The community care assistant lost two teeth in the horrific attack and suffered horrific injuries to her face. The images of her injuries were so graphic the Daily Echo chose not to print them.

Earlier this week, Russell Charlton was walking terrier cross Billy-Bob in Rollesbrook Greenway, off Wilton Avenue, when they were attacked by the two dogs, which are believed to be either Staffordshire bull terriers or pit bull terriers.

Russell needed treatment at hospital for hand injuries while Billy-Bob was had to be rushed to a vets for emergency surgery after being bitten.

“These dogs shouldn’t be allowed out – they were killing machines,” Russell, 59, told the Daily Echo.

“It could have been a little girl or boy and it could have done a lot of damage, especially if a little girl had been carrying a dog.”

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Russell Charlton and Billy-Bob the terrier cross were attacked in Southampton last weekend (photo by Stuart Martin)

Experts say the Southampton attempts are a symptom of the rise in dog attacks across the UK.

According to the Health and Social Care Information Centre the number of people taken to hospital after dog attacks has risen by 76 per cent in the past decade.

Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North, introduced a Dog Control Bill as a Private Members Bill to the House of Commons in 2011 but it failed to get passed into law.

She believes compulsory microchipping of dogs, which came into force last month, could help but only after attacks have taken place.

“I meet regularly with organisations like the Dogs Trust and with postal workers,” she said.

“There is no doubt there remains a significant problem with dog attacks, and every single one is unacceptable and traumatic for the victims “I do think legislation around microchipping has the potential to help hold owners to account, but in many cases that is too late and of little consolation to the person who has suffered.

“Breed specific legislation does not work, and we need to find a better mechanism to enable police and local authorities to take appropriate action where dogs are clearly out of control but have not yet attacked someone.”

The British Veterinary Association is also no fan of the Dangerous Dogs Act saying the law gives a false impression that dogs not banned are safe.

It added that the 1991 act is not working and that there has been no reduction in the number of dog attacks or the number of pit bulls kept since it was introduced.

Junior vice president Gudrun Ravetz said breed-specific legislation was not the solution for reducing aggressive behaviour in dogs.

She added: “Responsible dog ownership is a key to preventing such tragic attacks and making sure that dogs can be a positive part of our communities. Any potential owner must consider their duties, including legal ones, of owning a dog.

“The BVA is in favour of a more preventative approach and we have called for the introduction of Dog Control Notices (DCNs), which have been introduced in Scotland.”

DCNs allow the local authority or police to impose certain conditions at the first sign of concern at a dog’s behaviour - measures such as mending fences so that dogs cannot keep escaping into the neighbourhood, muzzling in public or compulsory dog training classes. Then, if conditions are not met, it becomes more serious and other action can be taken.

So why do dogs become aggressive?

Clinical animal behaviourist David Ryan says one reason may be that a dog has a lack of “socialisation”.

“When a dog is very young, from four weeks onwards there is a period when they are very sensitive to learning social skills with other dogs,” he explained.

“If dogs are not exposed to other dogs at an early age, they don’t learn to communicate with other dogs. Dogs communicate mostly with body language. Dogs get worried by other dogs with poor communication skills.

“Sometimes they may attack a dog if it’s a game that gets out of hand. Two dogs may take a cue from the other and it can escalate from there.”

However, like many, David believes the problem lies the owners.

“The main problem is that dogs aren’t getting the right guidance from their owners. If they are fearful or aggressive they need to be walked away by their owners.

“The problem with a pit bull is that if it gets into a fight it has all the equipment to win, the speed, the muscle power. Pit bulls don’t tend to lose fights.”