Dog Control Act 2000

In any proceedings for an offence against this Act – except as provided in section 13(2), a person shown in the register to be the owner of a dog is taken to be the owner of the dog at the material time unless the person proves that another person was the owner at the material time; and if the dog is proved to be in the apparent ownership of any person, that person is taken to be the owner of that dog.

In any proceedings for an offence against this Act, the fact that the dog immediately before the alleged offence was in company with, or closely following, a person is evidence that the person was the owner of that dog.