The Live Wire

Campaigns: Dog Control Bill

The Blue Cross is one of many organisations that fervently believes the Dangerous Dogs Act has completely failed.

The law, introduced in 1991 and revised in 1997, was designed to protect the public following a spate of attacks by aggressive or uncontrollable dogs.

But in the last five years, the number of dog bite incidents has actually risen by 79 per cent in London and 43 per cent nationally.

It is widely believed that the Act is one of the most ineffective pieces of government legislation ever brought into force.

We are part of the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG) which has lobbied against the inadequacies of the Act for many years.

The group is backing a new, hard-hitting Dog Control Bill, proposed by Liberal Democrat peer Lord Redesdale which focuses on prevention rather than cure.

The legislation would no longer be breed specific, ensuring that aggressive dogs of any breed and their owners are brought to account.

The current law, banning certain types of dogs – the American Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro – has done nothing but make these banned breeds and their lookalikes status symbols and penalised responsible owners of these types and the dogs themselves.

In the last three years, the Metropolitan Police has spent £10 million implementing this law through seizure, kennelling and euthanasia of banned breeds.

All dogs have the potential to be dangerous or wonderful, well-behaved pets and it is people, not the dogs themselves, that make dogs dangerous.

Research supports the principle of deed not breed and proves that genetics play only a part in the temperament of a dog with environment and training having a much greater effect.

The Bill would better protect the public by making the owners accountable for their dog's actions, regardless of breed.

Authorised officers would have the powers to place Dog Control Notices on irresponsible owners at the first signs of aggression.

Attacks on private property would also become a criminal offence.

The DDASG has launched a petition supporting the new bill, which already has almost 10,000 signatures.

A press release on the Dogs Control Bill 2010 is available here.

www.bluecross.org.uk/epolitix
Head Office: Shilton Road, Burford, OXON OX18 4PF Tel: 01993 822651 Fax: 01993 823083 Email: info@bluecross.org.uk
The Blue Cross (Incorporating Our Dumb Friends League) is a charity registered in England and Wales (224392) and in Scotland (SC040154).

The Blue Cross

The Blue Cross

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