Lawson Bond: Dog licensing prioritised after boy mauled to death

Two-year-old Lawson was found seriously injured after being attacked by a Rottweiler at home in March last year

A council service criticised by a coroner after a boy was mauled to death by a Rottweiler has said dog licensing is a top priority.

Two-year-old Lawson Bond died in hospital after being attacked by a dog owned by his unlicensed breeder grandmother.

Worcestershire Coroner David Reid said regulators needed to do more to root out unlicensed breeders.

Worcester Regulatory Service (WRS) said it carried out regular checks.

Lawson died in March last year after opening a gate into a field in Egdon, near Worcester, where the animals were, last week's inquest heard.

His grandmother Maria Bond, who had bred dogs for 30 years, found him face down in the field.

Ms Bond's lack of licence did not contribute to his death, the coroner said.

But he expressed concerns Wychavon District Council and WRS did not "proactively" search for those without licences.

"Issues relating to dogs and all other animals that come under the scope of animal licensing are one of our top priorities," said WRS head Simon Wilkes.

WRS delivers dog licensing administration on behalf of the six district councils in Worcestershire, including Wychavon.

• Listen - Coroner calls for dog licensing checks

"Our intelligence team regularly checks for issues associated with dogs, feeding information and intelligence on emerging threats to the teams and recommending possible interventions," Mr Wilkes said.

He pointed to a recent intelligence-led operation identifying illegal breeders trading online, but said the service relied on public information due to the wide range of sites used by sellers.

"We can't do this alone," he added.

Wychavon District Council's chief executive expressed "profound sorrow" over Lawson's death

Jayne Pickering, deputy chief executive at the council, said it would continue to work with WRS to hold illegal traders to account.

"Whilst I cannot say whether Ms Bond should have held a breeder's license, I would encourage those who are looking to add a pet to their family to research and do stringent checks," she added.

Both Ms Pickering and Mr Wilkes expressed sympathy over the boy's death. The coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure.