Defra Dangerous Dogs Act guidance is not the answer says the Kennel Club

THE KENNEL Club has criticised new guidance issued by Defra designed to crack down on the problem of dangerous dogs, believing it fails to tackle the issue effectively.

The Kennel Club, which runs the secretariat for the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group, has long been calling on the government to repeal and replace the current legislation, as it believes that it has done nothing to protect the public or reduced the number of pitbull terrier type dogs in the UK.

The Kennel Club believes that Defra should be looking at ways to amend the legislation on dangerous dogs instead of simply issuing new guidance on how to enforce the existing law to police forces and local authorities.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Communications Director, said: ‘The implementation of the Dangerous Dogs Act has not prevented a large number of dog attacks or targeted irresponsible owners whose dogs are deliberately trained to be aggressive. Additionally, the Act has had an extremely negative effect on the welfare of many dogs, which have either languished in kennels for many years or been euthanased simply because of their breed or type.

‘The current legislation is draconian, severely flawed, and does little to protect the public. We do not believe this guidance will do anything to improve the situation.

‘Whilst the Kennel Club welcomes any efforts being made to share information between the relevant enforcement agencies, we believe that they have an unenviable task in trying to police an inadequate piece of legislation.’

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