Attack on my dog was 'like something out of a horror movie'

Deirdre McCanney, whose dog Chica was attacked and killed, says she wants to see changes to the current law

Of more than 11,000 dog attacks investigated by councils in Northern Ireland since 2017, only 236 have resulted in a successful prosecution, new figures show.

One woman, whose dog was the victim of an attack, believes the current law is "not fit for purpose" and the attack on her dog was "like something out of a horror movie".

Dog owners can be fined up to £5,000 or sent to prison if they are found to be guilty of an offence.

Council dog wardens have responsibility for investigating attacks, seizing suspected dangerous dogs and issuing penalty notices.

Campaigners have said more needs to be done to allow attacks to be investigated and, if necessary, taken to court.

In a statement, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) said dog control legislation has been "continuously amended to provide extensive powers for councils to investigate and prosecute attacks by dogs on persons, other animals and livestock".

"With a constrained Assembly mandate additional legislation beyond that already scheduled is unfortunately inhibited," it added.

'Like something out of a horror movie'

There were about 1,400 dog attacks recorded across Northern Ireland over the last year alone - stock image

Deirdre McCanney was the victim of a dog attack in May when her dog Chica was killed.

She was walking back to her north Belfast home with her six-year-old chihuahua, when Chica was grabbed and pulled out of her harness by two unattended, aggressive dogs.

"It was like something out of a horror movie," she told BBC News NI.

"They were just shaking her like she was a toy, and she was screaming the whole time."

Neighbours made their way onto the street, disorientating the dogs long enough for Ms McCanney to grab Chica.

They rushed to the vets, but despite their best efforts Chica's injuries were too severe.

"Her body was so badly torn by the dogs…I had to make the decision and poor Chica passed on the operating table by herself in pain," Ms McCanney said.

Ms McCanney contacted police out of fear the dogs would attack again but was told it fell under the remit of Belfast City Council's dog warden.

"People will say it's just a dog, but she wasn't just a dog she was my wee girl," she said.

"She was honestly my family, we were everywhere for six-and-a-half years.

"I'm just lost without her because she was such a good girl and she didn't deserve to die like that."

Ms McCanney described the chihuahua as the "best wee girl"

Ms McCanney was visited by the warden on 1 June - two days after the attack - and a control order was placed on the dogs in question.

She claimed she was told there was "very little" that could be done within the current law.

A Belfast City Council spokesperson told BBC News NI the council was aware of an attack that took place in Somerton Gardens in May 2025.

"The investigation is still live and therefore, we cannot comment any further at this time," they said.

But Ms McCanney said this wasn't good enough.

"From my experience and having gone through this, the bottom has literally fallen out of my world," she said.

"I am living in the hell that this legislation currently is - honestly it's just madness.

"It is absolutely not fit for purpose.

"There's been so many repercussions from Chica's end, whereas from the owner's end it's just business as normal, there's no repercussions."

What is the law in Northern Ireland?

The law covering dog attacks is The Dogs (NI) Order 1983 and the main enforcement responsibility lies with councils.

It states an attack does not need to be physical for it to be an offence, but rather if a dog is acting in such a way a person may fear being attacked.

If the behaviour is found to be aggressive or threatening towards a person, the owner of the dog could be fined up to £5,000 and sentenced to up to six months in prison.

If a person is injured, a prison sentence can be up to two years.

If a person's pet is injured or livestock is worried by an aggressive dog a fine of up to £1,000 could be issued

If the act is deemed to be deliberate the fine could increased to £2,500.

The legislation differs from England and Wales, where owners could receive an unlimited fine and a prison sentence, which can be up to 14 years if a dog is allowed to kill someone.

How many dog attacks have been recorded in NI?

Statistics from Daera, published in June, showed there were 11,112 dog attacks investigated across Northern Ireland's 11 councils from April 2017 to March 2025.

The majority of the attacks over the eight year period were on people - 5,604 - with 4,329 attacks on pets recorded.

Of the investigated incidents, 9,079 were resolved without further action.

Heather Weir, chief executive of the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said there were a number of reasons why dog attack prosecutions were not successful.

These range from victims or pet owners not wanting to take further action, to the legislation being interpreted by different agencies due to the case-by-case nature of investigations.

"There doesn't seem to be a commonality in terms of the thresholds for the fines, sentences and the bans across Northern Ireland," she said.

There is also a lack of funding for animal welfare in Northern Ireland, Ms Weir said, which hindered councils and police in their investigations.

Heather Weir says the focus should be on prevention

The charity said promoting responsible dog ownership would help to reduce, and in many cases prevent, dog attacks from happening in the first place.

This includes proper training, identifying problematic behaviours, leashing dogs in public and microchipping pets.

"You'll often hear us say it's not the dog it's the owner," Ms Weir added.

"There very much is a responsibility on owners to look after their animals... but also to be responsible if they notice their dog is exhibiting aggressive behaviours.

"If responsible owners are doing all of those things... there shouldn't be so many dog attacks."