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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 according to the BBC.
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. Ms Bond's lack of licence did not contribute to his death, the coroner said. The coroner expressed concerns Wychavon District Council and WRS did not "proactively" search for those without licences.
WRS head Simon Wilke, is reported to have said:
"Issues relating to dogs and all other animals that come under the scope of animal licensing are one of our top priorities.
"Our intelligence team regularly checks for issues associated with dogs, feeding information and intelligence on emerging threats to the teams and recommending possible interventions."
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 licence, 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.