The ACT government will look at jacking up the cost of dangerous dog licences to cover the cost of increased enforcement, as it considers an Opposition bill to tighten up domestic animal laws.
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Their potential amendments include raising the fines for failing to comply with dangerous dog laws and punishing people for failing to report their own dog for attacking.
City services minister Meegan Fitzharris said the legislation brought forward by the Canberra Liberals on Wednesday addresses some but not all of the problems associated with dangerous dogs in Canberra.
She signalled further changes the government wanted to make to the laws with the "expectation and hope" the new rules would be in force by the end of the year.
"We do have situations in Canberra where I have been advised on a number of occasions dogs have attacked, their owners have been aware and their owners have not come forward," Ms Fitzharris said.
"That will no longer be the case if we are able to get this legislation passed. We will also put restrictions on owners who are repeat offenders with dangerous dogs and consider having dog ownership bans."
Ms Fitzharris said the government also wanted higher dangerous dogs licence fees and fines than proposed by the Canberra Liberals and flagged a separate category for owners on notice, which could have higher fees.
She said higher fees were needed to cover the extra enforcement.
In the wake of last week's dog attack where Canberra woman Tania Klemke was killed, the government had already doubled the number of rangers.
Under the Opposition's bill, dogs that were being investigated for injuring a person or animal would be impounded.
If the investigation found the dog to be responsible, it would be put down.
The government's proposed amendments would go further, enabling dogs to be put down if their owners did not abide by their licence conditions.
