4 A different approach - education and enforcement. This is often referred to as ‘breed specific legislation’, or ‘BSL’, but actually the law doesn’t recognise a dog’s family tree, or pedigree. There are still issues of risk in our society and our communities”.27, 13.The British Veterinary Association and British Small Animal Veterinary Association (hereafter BVA), the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, the Kennel Club, and David Ryan, former Chair of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, were unanimous in their condemnation of the breed specific provisions in Section 1.28, 14.Dogs Trust told us there was “no evidence that there has been any effect on the number of bites”,29 and there was a “catalogue of research that tells us that breed is not a predictor” of risk.30 The RSPCA highlighted that the conditions of seizure and kennelling could be stressful for the animal and negatively affect its behaviour.31 Battersea Dogs & Cats Home told us it was “heart-breaking” to put down dogs they believed could be safely re-homed.32 The organisation has said that over 70 percent of the banned Pit Bull types in its care could have gone to new owners, but were instead required to be put down.33. It focuses on specific breeds, which fails to appreciate a dog is not aggressive purely on the basis of its breed. CPNs can be issued by local authority officers or the police on dog owners, or anyone temporarily in charge of a dog at the time of an incident, where dogs are behaving in an unruly way. In some areas, regulated breeds also include a variety of other dogs like American Bulldogs, Rottweilers, Mastiffs, Dalmatians, Chow Chows, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers or any mix of these breeds—and dogs who simply resemble thes… We expect this review to take account of the. 10 The following breeds/types are prohibited under Section 1: Dogo Argentino This Briefing was last updated in August 2016. This review should begin no later than January, 2019. Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is the banning or restriction of specific breeds of dogs considered “dangerous” breeds, such as pit bull breeds, Rottweiler’s and German shepherds. It focuses on specific breeds, which fails to appreciate a dog is not aggressive purely on the basis of its breed. We use cookies to make this service simpler. A dog may be considered dangerously out of control if it: 10.Additional dog control legislation includes the Dogs Act 1871, which provides civil sanctions, and the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 which covers livestock worrying.19 More recently, the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 granted authorities greater powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, including incidents involving dogs.20 At the same time, the maximum sentences for dog attacks resulting in injury or death were raised to five and 14 years respectively. BSL In The UK. BSL in the UK takes the form of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, which targets the pit-bull terrier. The law was further extended to cover incidents on private property and attacks against assistance dogs.21, 11.The majority of public concern over the Dangerous Dogs Act has concentrated on the breed ban in Section 1, and there have been widespread calls for it to be repealed on animal welfare grounds.22 We accordingly pressed our witnesses for their views on the ban’s effectiveness. Closed Petition - 118,638 Signatures Breed Specific Legislation fails to achieve what Parliament intended, to protect the public. Its an unworkable, unenforcable racist peice of legislation. We expect this review to take account of the concerns and recommendations raised throughout this Report. All petitions run for 6 months, Parliament considers all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures for a debate. Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is a type of law that prohibits or restricts particular breeds or types of dog. Our inquiry focused on one of the main pieces of legislation, the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.8 The law was introduced to protect the public following a spate of high-profile attacks. The four types of dog, pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro are prohibited because they are types bred for fighting. concerns and recommendations raised throughout this Report. The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 includes specific measures to enable the police and local authorities to tackle irresponsible dog ownership before a dog attack occurs. 13 Dogs, England and Wales, The Dangerous Dogs Exemption Schemes (England and Wales) Order 2015, 16 UK Centre for Animal Law (DDL0355) paras 11–12, 18 GOV.UK, Controlling your dog in public, 19 For the Dogs Act 1871 see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/34–35/56, for the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 Act see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/1–2/28, 20 Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, 22 See for example Blue Cross, If looks couldn’t kill, 33 Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, new Battersea research provides damning verdict on the Dangerous Dogs Act 25 years on, 25 July 2016, 34 UK Centre for Animal Law (DDL0355) para 16, 35 The Animal Behaviour, Cognition & Welfare Group, University of Lincoln (DDL0289) para 6, 40 Klassen et al, Does the dangerous dogs act protect against animal attacks: a prospective study of mammalian bites in the accident and emergency department, 1996, 41 2016–17 figures obtained from NHS Digital data, available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/. The main tool to combat this form of irresponsible dog ownership is the Community Protection Notice (CPN). The research will also seek to identify and examine the factors and situations that may cause dog attacks; how to promote responsible dog ownership. That would be welcomed in communities and by forces”.26 Deputy Chief Constable Pritchard stressed that the Government should “not just repeal it and leave it. Rejected petition End Breed Specific Legislation ... the number of people who have signed the petition by country as well as in the constituency of each Member of Parliament. The system needs to be fairer for all, dogs and humans. Its stated aim is to: prohibit persons from having in their possession or custody dogs belonging to types bred for fighting [...] to enable restrictions to be imposed in relation to other types of dog which present a serious danger to the public; to make further provision for securing that dogs are kept under proper control; and for connected purposes.9. In the UK, that includes Pit Bull type dogs, Japanese Tosa, Fila Braziliero and the Dogo Argentino breeds, solely because of historical and cultural connections to fighting. 6 GOV.UK, Clampdown on dangerous dogs, 23 April 2012. The issue here, is that despite being in place for over 25 years, the number of dog attacks is still rising. The CPN could require the dog’s owner, or the person in charge of it, to take appropriate action to prevent a reoccurrence of the offending behaviour. End BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) in the UK. We focused specifically on Section 1 of the Act. Recent research has estimated that only a third of those suffering a dog bite subsequently sought medical treatment.45 We also heard that only overnight stays would be recorded in the commonly cited hospital records; victims returning home after treatment at an accident and emergency department may not be included in these figures.46 In 2012 the Government estimated that over 200,000 people a year suffer dog bites.47, 20.Dog attack fatalities have also increased. He explains the mood of the country to us at the time of it's introduction. 9.Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act makes it an offence for any dog to be dangerously out of control, regardless of its breed/type. It allows seizure of other breeds, but the rules are not applied homogeneously by councils. Under the Dangerous Dogs Act four breeds of dog are banned – the pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. This review should begin no later than January 2019. It is not a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 5.Our inquiry examined whether these aims were being achieved. Instead, UK legislation bases the decision on whether a dog is illegal on looks alone – a dog’s breed, a dog’s parents’ breeds, DNA testing and behaviour don’t come into it. Which seems unfair, to put it mildly, because as a result, dogs have lost … Regulated breeds typically comprise the “pit bull” class of dogs, including American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and English Bull Terriers. Everyone in this room, and particularly people outside, would say, “What on earth have you done?”38, 17.He further criticised the “fixation” on Section 1 of the Act, noting that even without it, Section 3 of the Act empowered authorities to tackle dogs of any breed/type.39, 18.Despite the fairly comprehensive legislative framework aimed at preventing dog attacks, the number of bite and strike incidents has steadily increased over the years. 6.6K likes. The Government considers that prohibition on the four types of fighting dog under Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 should remain in place. New powers for early intervention. 23.To ensure the public receives the best possible protection, the Government should commission an independent review of the effectiveness of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and wider dog control legislation. The introduction of UK Breed Specific Legislation received support from the political & animal world. Find out more about cookies. that is shared on the site is that of the petition creator. A 1991 law called the Dangerous Dogs Act banned certain breeds in the United Kingdom, and some Members of Parliament are looking at whether or not that Act has actually been effective in reducing the number of dog attacks. It had murdered hundreds of innocent , much loved famiy pets and has cost the country millions in kenneling and court fees. The reason for this is because the issue is not about the type of dog that is owned, but actually centres around responsible pet ownership. We expect to have a final report by the end of 2020. Breed Specific Legislation fails to achieve what Parliament intended, to protect the public. The Legislation in the briefing is also relevant to a Petitions Committee debate scheduled for 16 July 2018 (further details of the Petition and Government response are available online).. UK Government and Parliament. Breed-specific legislation is a form of discrimination. This is supported by police who are responsible for enforcing the Act. In the UK, BSL bans the ownership of four different types of dogs traditionally bred for fighting: pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero. if a person believes the dog might injure them; or. Legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 7. Lord Gardiner of Kimble, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity, DEFRA It allows seizure of other breeds, but the rules are not applied homogeneously by councils. At 9.30am. Enforcers are able to take action before dog attacks happen. Under the act, breed specific legislation (BSL) prohibits the ownership of certain “types” of dogs, with the most popular prohibited type being the pit bull, says the RSPCA. Epidemiol Community Health, February 2018, 47 GOV.UK, Clampdown on dangerous dogs, 23 April 2012, 49 Office for National Statistics, Deaths from dog bites, England and Wales, 1981 to 2015, September 2016, protection, the Government should commission an independent review of the, effectiveness of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and wider dog, control legislation. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 also makes it an offence to allow a dog of any breed or type to become dangerously out of control in any place. 10 Because the Pit Bull Terrier is not a recognised breed in the UK, this Report generally refers to breeds/types when discussing the provisions of Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Enforcement practices. In fact, the term ‘breed specific legislation’ is misleading because the definition of what is banned under the law is far from specific and doesn’t only apply to pedigree breeds. 22.We were concerned to hear that the Government considered the Dangerous Dogs Act to be successful on the grounds that it was impossible to tell how many attacks would have occurred without the law. and Wales, The Dangerous Dogs Exemption Schemes (England and Wales), http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/1–2/28, Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, Battersea research provides damning verdict on the Dangerous Dogs Act, Does the dangerous dogs act protect against animal attacks: a, prospective study of mammalian bites in the accident and emergency, £2.45 billion a year: new report quantifies economic benefits of, Deaths from dog bites, England and Wales, 1981 to 2015, the owner purchases third party insurance; and. There are currently around 3,000 dogs where a court has granted an exemption and allowed them to stay with their owner. PPG holds that Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) such as this paints an unjust picture of certain breeds of dogs and punishes responsible dog guardians unnecessarily. In addition, Defra has commissioned further research in collaboration with Middlesex University to look at responsible ownership across all breeds of dog. An initial review of the Dangerous Dogs Act, published five years after the law’s introduction, showed no significant reduction in dog bites.40 NHS data shows that between 2005 and 2017, the number of recorded hospitalisations rose from 4,110 up to 7,461, representing an 81 percent increase.41 The RSPCA told us that there was no evidence suggesting that prohibited breeds were a significant factor behind the rise.42 Figures from the Metropolitan Police for 2015–16 indicated that legal breeds accounted for around 80 percent of incidents involving Section 3 ‘dangerously out of control’ offences.43 The annual cost to the NHS of treating dog attack victims has been estimated at £3 million.44, 19.The total number of bites is likely to be substantially higher than the NHS hospital admission figures suggest. 15.The UK Centre for Animal Law raised additional concerns that the current focus on prohibiting certain breeds had offered false reassurances to policymakers, and distracted attention from investigating alternative and potentially more effective methods of dog control.34 The Animal Behaviour, Cognition & Welfare Group further noted that: … the stigmatisation of certain breeds through the legislation may have inadvertently increased the value of dogs as weapons in general, or particular breeds, and thus increased the problem. 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