LONDON, UK – Debate is raging across the country over proposed amendments to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which would either expand the list of banned dogs to include the American Bully XL variant of the pit bull, or scrap breed-specific rules altogether, as has been the case recently. The joint statement from the Dog Trust and the Kennel Club is simply disingenuous.
“We are delighted that the Westminster Dog of the Year competition will be held at Victoria Tower Gardens in September 2023,” the announcement said.
The Westminster Dog of the Year Competition is in no way affiliated with the American Kennel Club’s annual Westminster Dog Show in New York City.
Instead, it is a popularity contest between participating Members of Parliament and their dogs. The public chooses their favorite based on photographs of politicians and dogs.
“Since 1992,” continues The Dogs Trust and Kennel Club, “Westminster Dog of the Year has enabled The Dogs Trust and Dogs Trust to engage with MPs who are passionate about dogs. Lend a helping hand and identify those who are ready to breed dogs. problems and solve them. Council Policy”.
Dogs Trust, the Kennel Club, the RSPCA, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and the British Veterinary Association have long been key supporters of repealing the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, calling themselves the Dog Control Alliance.
A central feature of the 1991 Dangerous Dog Act was lax enforcement of the national ban on four “foreign” pit bull breeds and their variants: the American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasilien and Japanese Tosa.
Bulldogs identified by any other name, including Staffordshire Terriers, American Bullies (XL or other), Bullmastiffs, Old English Bulldogs and Cutraws, as well as Rottweilers and other known high-risk breeds, are still permitted in the UK and are becoming increasingly common.
However, like most animal shelters in the country, Dogs Trust, the RSPCA and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home are overrun by pit bulls and are unable to find anyone to adopt.
Like most animal shelters in the US, the management of the Dogs Trust, the RSPCA and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home are convinced that if they can quell the pit bulls’ deadly reputation, they will be able to place all their current pit bulls in good homes.
Owen Sharp, chief executive of the Dog Trust, said: “The Westminster Dog of the Year competition is completely apolitical; judges will focus on the dog’s good deeds and loyalty to its owner, rather than on politics or opinion. “It’s a fun day out with an important message at its heart – promote dog welfare issues and encourage responsible dog ownership.”
Sixteen MPs competing in the 2023 competition pose with their dogs, including five Labradors, two Cocker Spaniels, two Cocker Spaniels, a Jack Russell, a Spurlock, a Cavapoo, a Saluki and a Cairn Terrier.
The two members of Congress who participated did not pose with dogs, but one said she used to own two spaniels. Both MPs said they would allow the Dog Foundation to choose a dog for them, but that dog, regardless of breed, would not be shown to voters.
None of the dogs pictured in the 2023 Westminster Dog of the Year competition are pit bulls or any other breed generally considered dangerous.
However, the joint statement from the Canine Trust and the Kennel Club falls far short of the hypocrisy of the Royal SPCA’s “urgent” warning of 14 August 2023 regarding the extension of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
GBNews’ Ryan Paton and Catherine Addison-Swan conclude: “According to the RSPCA, dog bite incidents have increased by 154% in the last 20 years, with 48 people killed in dog-related incidents between 1989 and 2017. Of the 62 dogs involved, there was a 154% increase in dog bite incidents as a result of this incident.” Of these incidents, 53 breeds are not included in the prohibited list. “
Firstly, the RSPCA’s statistics are incomplete. Animals 24-7 has recorded details of 63 fatal dog attacks in the UK since the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 came into force, involving 84 dogs, 69 of which were pit bulls.
Any dog with breed-specific characteristics should also be prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act, but this wording has never been enforced.
The Royal SPCA is also currently facing a liability claim, filed in April 2023, seeking more than £200,000 in damages after it fined 49-year-old Joanna Harris for raising a puppy. The American Bulldog named Kiwi is actually a pit bull. Crowborough, East Sussex, after a New Zealand man attacked two other women.
Harris claims the previous attack was not reported to her. In early September 2021, the New Zealander hit Harris so hard that her left arm was amputated.
In a prepared statement in response to the lawsuit, the RSPCA said “we assess the health and behavioral needs of animals before rehoming them,” adding that “if the new owner feels unhappy or unsafe,” it will return the dog.
However, Mark Dorr of the Daily Mail reports: “Harris’ claim also alleges that when Ms Harris reported that a kiwi tried to bite her on August 26, 2021 (the week of the week), the Crown prevented the SPCA from removing the kiwi from Ms. Harris” prior to the incident in which she was injured. “
As the RSPCA also sells insurance for its rehomed dogs, it can be assumed that Harris’ injuries were covered.
Instead, Peters discovered, the RSPCA’s “pet insurance policy limitations” state that it will not pay any claims for dozens of breeds, including American Bulldogs, American Indian Dogs, American Pit Bull Terriers, American Rottweilers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Irish Staffordshire Blue Bull Terrier. , Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Pit Bull Terrier.”
In addition, “it is RSPCA policy that no claims will be paid for dogs ‘mixed or crossed with any of these breeds’.”
”The ASPCA opposes the ban on the American Bully XL,” Peters noted. “It is a cross between the American Pit Bull Terrier and would be banned if owners of the breed were prohibited from purchasing insurance.”
An RSPCA spokesman told Peters: “Our insurance is provided by a third party and unfortunately it is standard practice to exclude a number of breeds based on their own rating factors,” Peters wrote.
“We cannot change the list of excluded breeds and the alternative is not to provide cover.”
Economist Sam Bowman responded to Peters: “If they truly believe these breeds are safe and other insurance companies are wrong, then the RSPCA can help by providing insurance for these dogs. Offer insurance to win more business when its competitors don’t.”
Lawrence Newport, a producer who recently made a film about dog attacks, added: “This is blatant hypocrisy. Does the RSPCA think these dogs are dangerous?”
(See Newport Films here: https://www.lawrencenewport.co.uk/p/why-are-so-many-children-dying-to.)
Current opinion polls show that around 57% of British voters are in favor of expanding the list of banned breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and strictly enforcing it.
This has long been the case in Ireland, where there have been four fatal dog attacks since 2015, compared with 34 in the UK.
Brendan Keane explained to the Enniscorthy Guardian on December 6, 2022: “The Dog Control Act was introduced in 1986.
“There are no rules against owning dogs in Ireland. However, 11 breeds are on the banned list, meaning there are restrictions on who can own them, where they can be kept and how they can be controlled in public places.
“The list of prohibited dogs includes: American Pit Bull Terrier, English Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Mastiff, Doberman Pinscher, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Akita and Japanese Tosa.
“The eleventh dog on the Prohibited List is classified as a Bandog, which is a cross between any of the dogs on the Prohibited List above.
“XL Bully, although not on the main banned list, is classified as restricted under the “Bandog” tag.
“All dogs on the prohibited list,” Keene concluded, “must be muzzled and on a leash at all times in public. The leash should be strong and short – no longer than six feet six inches in length. These dogs must also wear a leash. collar with owner’s contact information.”
Filed Under: Propaganda, Animal Organizations, Breeding, Dog Attacks, Dogs, Dogs and Cats, Europe, Feature Home Bottom, Islands, Law and Politics, Obituaries and Memorials, Obituaries (Human), United Kingdom, United States Tagged With: Battersea, Alliance for Dog Control, Joanna Harris, Lawrence Newport, Merritt Clifton, Owen Sharp
Post time: Oct-06-2023
