THE KENNEL Club, the RSPCA and the BVA have this week all backed the Government’s plans to review the current dangerous dogs legislation in the UK.
The Kennel Club runs the secretariat for the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG), which includes representatives from organisations including Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust and Wood Green Animal Shelter, veterinary organisations and local authorities. The study group has been considering issues surrounding dangerous dogs for some time and has recently produced a new draft Dog Control Bill which seeks to place liability on irresponsible dog owners.
Communications Director Caroline Kisko said “The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is a kneejerk piece of legislation which was rushed through in haste. It has not reduced the number of pit bull terriers in this country, nor has it reduced the number of dog biting attacks while it has had a huge impact on the welfare of many dogs.
It is essential that any new legislation is properly considered and puts greater emphasis on animal welfare whilst better protecting the public.”
The Kennel Club welcomes this review and we hope that any future government will look at this pressing issue as soon as possible after this year’s election”.
Vets have also welcomed the consultation, but called on politicians not to let the issue become a political football during the forthcoming election campaign.
Change
Responding to the announcement by the Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs that Defra will consult the public on reform of the legislation and compulsory microchipping, Professor Bill Reilly, President of the BVA, said: ‘The BVA has been lobbying the Government and Opposition hard for a change in dangerous dogs legislation and so we are delighted that the Government is now considering reforming the hugely unpopular and ineffective Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
‘The BVA believes very strongly in the principle of deed not breed – targeting dogs for their actions, not what they look like – and we hope to see new legislation that tackles the actions of irresponsible pet owners that can cause dogs to become aggressive.
We therefore support the concept of control notices, which is being pursued in Scotland through the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill, and the proposal for compulsory microchipping to ensure all dogs can be identified.
However, the failure of the 1991 Act is rooted in the fact that it was drafted in a highly political knee-jerk response to a number of incidents. Politicians should learn from these mistakes and resist using the issue as a political football during the General Election campaign.
The welfare charities, vets and Kennel Club have reached consensus on the need for the law to change and politicians of all parties should aim to agree the way forward.’
The issue was raised by Professor Reilly at the BVA’s annual London dinner, attended by Defra Minister Lord Davies of Oldham, on 16 February. Prof Reilly said:
‘The problems caused by dangerous dogs will never be solved until dog owners appreciate that they are responsible for the actions of their animals. Rather than singling out individual breeds the BVA strongly believes in targeting individual aggressive dogs.
‘With concern about weapon dogs rising and a new Parliament on the horizon looking for fresh ideas, the time is surely right for it to be at the top of the political agenda.’
Claire Robinson, the RSPCA’s government relations manager, said: ‘There is a real need for updated legislation that enables enforcers to tackle the problem effectively and prevent serious incidents from occurring rather than waiting till after a tragedy or penalising certain dogs just because of their breed or type.
Good practice
‘The RSPCA has been working with the police and local authorities to develop good practice in this area and also consolidate and update legislation that will tackle the root cause of the problem – indiscriminate breeding and irresponsible dog ownership.
‘It is fantastic news that the Government has opened a genuine debate on the subject and given the public a chance to have their say on the best way to tackle the issue of dogs being used anti-socially.”
She said vets at RSPCA animal hospitals, as well as many of the charity’s inspectors out in the field, come across dogs on a daily basis that have suffered cruelty or neglect at the hands of irresponsible owners.
It needs to be remembered that dog welfare isn’t just about ‘dangerous dogs’. Strays and over-breeding are also areas that would need to be properly addressed as part of any comprehensive dog welfare strategy.
‘We look forward to going through the consultation documents in full and submitting our response to Defra,” added Claire.
The Government’s public consultation was launched following a visit to the RSPCA Harmsworth Animal Hospital, in north London, by Home Secretary Alan Johnson, and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn MP, on Monday.
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