Scared by dogs? The government wants to know if you feel in danger

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Total views: 293 | Word Count: 809 | Date: Wed, 26 May 2010 | 147 comments

Ryan O'Meara, publisher of K9 Magazine, tells us what he thinks about the contentious issues surrounding the Dangerous Dogs Act.

The subject of dangerous dogs is in the news again following a recent fatality, the sixth in five years, plus government consultation on amending the Dangerous Dogs Act. The consultation is asking people whether current legislation adequately protects the public or encourages responsible dog ownership.

The Problem with the Dangerous Dogs Act

Over the past five years, there have been six fatalities caused by dangerous dogs in the UK. This is despite legislation introduced in 1991 - the Dangerous Dogs Act - which sought to protect the public and reduce the number of serious dog attacks.

When the act was introduced, its main emphasis was to prohibit the existence in Britain of four types of dogs: The Pit Bull, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and the Fila Brasileiro - but prior to 1991, no human had ever been killed in the UK by any of these breeds. In fact, with the exception of the Pit Bull type, Britain could count on one hand the number of those breeds that had ever been in the country.

However, despite the ban on Pit Bulls, the police and government believe that there are now more Pit Bull-type dogs in the UK that are being used as weapons or status symbols, than at any point in history. What this suggests is that the attempt to ban an entire dog breed has failed.

Why has the Act Failed?

Many people assume that a dog breed is a fixed, easily determined assessment. You see a Labrador, you recognise it as a Labrador. You see a German Shepherd, you recognise it as a German Shepherd. But what happens with those dogs who aren't quite one thing or the other? Dogs that look a little bit Labradorish or dogs that appear to have a bit of Doberman in them?

We commonly call them crossbreeds, but in the UK the Pit Bull has always been a cross-breed. There is no breed standard and there never has been. So to attempt to eradicate a breed that isn't and never was a breed has been an expensive exercise that was always doomed to fail.

Illegal Breeds

To further compound the problem - two legal dog breeds can produce an illegal one. For example, we can mate a Boxer and a Mastiff and the result could produce a litter of puppies, four of which look like Boxers, one that looks like a Mastiff and one that happens to grow up and fits the physical description of 'Pit Bull type'.

Therefore, the attempt to eradicated entire types of dogs based entirely on what they happen to look like has proven to be an impossible task.

Breed-Specific Legislation

The main animal welfare organisations and the Kennel Club have united in their opposition to this concept, known as ‘breed-specific legislation', and as Britain suffers its sixth fatal dog attack in five years, I believe it's time to revisit the facts.

Whilst the breeds involved in the attacks vary, the pattern and circumstance surrounding the deaths does not. In all cases, the owner was not present and the victim was killed by a family dog in a family home.

Family Dogs to Blame

At a time when the government is seeking out the opinion of the general public on what to do about serious or fatal dog attacks, it's imperative they look at the facts rather than the hype. It's actually not so-called 'status dog' owners whose dogs are killing people, but family dogs.

Education and preventative legislation would appear to stand a greater chance of achieving success in the battle against dog attacks as, it would certainly appear, a fatal dog attack is far more likely to happen in the family home from a family dog when the dog owner is not present, as opposed to a dog being used as a weapon on the street.

In short, as everyone would surely hope for an end to lives being lost to dogs, we must address the facts surrounding these fatal attacks, rather than focus on hype, headlines and unworkable controls on a specific breed.

About the Author

Own a pet dog? Then you should probably check if they are covered by your contents insurance. Confused.com compare all the top home insurance providers.

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