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http://www.vetpro.co.uk :: View topic - A change in the law is needed to tackle a rise in dog fighti

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A change in the law is needed to tackle a rise in dog fighti

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jenvetnurse
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Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 9:10 pm Post subject: A change in the law is needed to tackle a rise in dog fighti

A change in the law is needed to tackle a rise in dog fighting that is leaving an increasing number of animals with horrific injuries, the RSPCA has said. The existing ban on four breeds was inadequate and the law must "focus back on the real problem... the owner", said the charity's Claire Robinson. Dog fighting-related calls to the RSPCA had risen 12-fold since 2004, with two thirds involving youths, it said. Ministers say penalties for dog fighting have been toughened. City parks The new wave of dog fighting, known as "chain fighting" or "rolling", involves informal fights often held in inner city public parks, says the RSPCA. "[People] are seeing young people, often gangs of young people, in parks, on estates, some even put two dogs in a lift at the top of the block of flats and will press the button and let the dogs fight until they get to the bottom," Ms Robinson told BBC News. "Fortunately they are reporting it to us and the police, but often by the time we get there the people are gone and the dogs can't be found." The RSPCA says a new generation are using rottweilers (left) in dog fights But one eye-witness who contacted the BBC said he felt complaints to police about dog abuse and fighting were on the increase, but not taken seriously enough. Teg Davies was on a family trip to the park in Mill Hill, London, to play football with his sons, when he saw three men, "kicking two dogs and throwing them at each other to provoke them". He says no-one came to investigate, despite a call to local police. Ministers say there are now tougher penalties for dog fighting and that the new Policing and Crime Bill will make it easier to seize dogs owned by criminal gangs. But the RSPCA insists the authorities still have limited powers to seize dogs kept by their owners as weapons. The charity is seeing dogs with "unprecedented levels" of injuries, says the charity's David Grant. "We see two or three fights most days. At the weekend it can be quite bad - a few weekends ago we had 10", he said. "We frequently see ears torn off, eyes torn out. In my career as a vet - nearly 42 years - this is the worst it has ever been. "I have never seen things as bad as this." 'Limited powers' The Dangerous Dogs Act, which came into force in 1991, bans four different breeds - the pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. But NHS figures show dog attacks have tripled since 1991, with many blamed on cross-bred dogs which are not illegal. Rottweilers or Staffordshire bull terriers were often involved in the "ad hoc" fights staged by gangs of young men in parks, the RSPCA said. The charity wants the law to focus on people keeping aggressive dogs as a status symbol or weapon, with more checks on owners and stiffer penalties for people mistreating dogs or keeping them for criminal use. "It's a lot to do with the sort of MTV gang culture - people want to look hard, they want to look tough, with a dog that looks tough," Ms Robinson said.
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Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:01 am Post subject:

DOGS TRUST WELCOMES A NEW APPROACH TO DANGEROUS DOGS Dogs Trust welcomes the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill which has now completed stage three of its passage through the Scottish parliament. The Bill, put forward by Christine Grahame MSP champions the principle of ‘deed not breed’, and provides local authorities with greater powers to impose penalties on irresponsible owners. Dogs Trust has long campaigned for a fresh approach to the management of dangerous dogs in the UK, following the failure of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act to prevent dog attacks. Dogs Trust, as a member of the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG), along with a variety of other welfare organisations, the Kennel Club and the BVA, has supported Ms Grahame’s Bill since it was introduced as a Private Members Bill by Alex Neill MSP. Dogs Trust believes that the issue of dangerous dogs is a social problem and that any solution must address the problem of dangerous owners. The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill highlights the responsibility of the owners to prevent dog attacks to protect the public and places less emphasis on the breed of dog. Dogs Trust does not consider Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) to be effective, and fully supported the amendment lodged by Patricia Ferguson MSP which removed the reference to a dogs’ ‘size and power’ when assessing whether or not the animal is out of control. The Bill does stop short of a complete repeal of BSL. BSL has not prevented dog attacks, nor has it eradicated the Pit Bull in the UK despite having devastating consequences for some breed-types. Clarissa Baldwin, Dogs Trust CEO commented: “Whilst Dogs Trust is extremely supportive of the Bills intention and considers this an excellent start to addressing a national problem, there is more to be done. Dogs Trust would like to see the next UK Government introducing the compulsory microchipping of dogs, taking action to address the worrying trend in bull-breed type dogs in urban areas, and implementing a cross-departmental approach to education on responsible dog ownership.”
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Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 10:21 pm Post subject: Re: A change in the law is needed to tackle a rise in dog fi

Welcome for bill aiming to replace dangerous dogs legislationAdded : 05/07/2010 Animal welfare organisations and veterinary professionals today joined forces to condemn the much-criticised Dangerous Dogs Act - and demand its replacement by harder-hitting dog control legislation concentrating on prevention, rather than cure. Animal welfare organisations and veterinary professionals today joined forces to condemn the much-criticised Dangerous Dogs Act - and demand its replacement by harder-hitting dog control legislation concentrating on prevention, rather than cure. Many claim existing legislation has failed to reduce the number of dog bite incidents in the UK, which have risen in the past five years by 79 per cent in London and 43 per cent nationally. Meanwhile, costs have continued to rise; it was revealed that £10m has been spent by the Metropolitan Police alone in the past three years, simply to implement Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act, relating to the seizure, kennelling and euthanasia of banned breeds. The Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG) has lobbied against what it believes are the inadequacies of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 for many years, and members of the group are now backing a new Dog Control Bill proposed by Lib Dem Peer Lord Redesdale, which will receive its second reading in the House of Lords on Friday (July 9). Many feel this bill would consolidate previous legislation and better protect the public by targeting the cause of dog attacks, namely dog owners. Lord Redesdale said: "People deserve to feel safe around dogs, and this bill goes a long way towards protecting the public through tougher action against irresponsible dog owners. The current law has done nothing but make banned breeds and their lookalikes more appealing and created the issue of status dogs because they are a status symbol. "Owners of aggressive or violent dogs of any kind would be brought to account with this Bill, which in turn will prevent a large number of attacks by dealing with problem behaviour at the first signs of aggression rather than when an attack has taken place, as in current legislation." If passed, the bill would introduce major changes to current dangerous dog legislation. These changes include: * More emphasis on the owners' responsibilities, with the bill supporting the principle that it is the owner who has the potential to make a dog either well-behaved or badly-behaved. It gives authorised officers the powers to place Dog Control Notices on irresponsible owners at the first signs of dog aggression. * Attacks that take place on private property would also become a criminal offence. The bill features various exemptions, such as being attacked by another animal, provocation, and attacks on individuals committing an offence for which they could be imprisoned. * Legislation would no longer be breed specific. Research now overwhelmingly supports the principle of deed not breed, and proves that genetics (breed) play only a limited part in the temperament of an individual dog, with environment and training having a far greater effect. The DDASG has been working closely with Lord Redesdale in support of his Dog Control Bill and has long been calling on the Government to repeal the current legislation. The group believes the breed-specific nature of current legislation has caused it to fail, and that focusing on individual breeds has failed to prevent a large number of dog attacks, or reduce the number of pit bull terriers in the UK. DDASG chairman Chris Laurence, veterinary director of Dogs Trust, said: "We firmly believe the Dangerous Dogs Act needs to be overhauled to better protect the public, and that a new dog control regime that emphasises responsible dog ownership should be introduced. "The Dog Control Bill supports the principle that it is people, not the dogs themselves, that make dogs dangerous. Lord Redesdale's bill would allow people to be better protected from dangerous dogs with tougher action taken against irresponsible dog owners." The Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group has also launched a petition supporting Lord Redesdale's Dog Control Bill, which already has almost 10,000 signatures
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