The Kennel Club has welcomed a petition being handed into Downing Street today as another step towards an urgent review into current ‘dangerous dog’ legislation in the UK.

The petition comes after the Kennel Club and the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG) celebrated reaching 10,000 signatures on their petition highlighting the merits of Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Redesdale’s Dog Control Bill at the beginning of the year.

The Kennel Club and DDASG believe the law should punish the deed, not the breed, and represent animal welfare, local authorities and veterinary professional organisations which include Battersea Dogs Home, The Blue Cross, British Veterinary Association, Dogs Trust, Mayhew Animal Home, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Wandsworth Borough Council and Wood Green Animal Shelters.

What the petition says

The petition outlines the principles of the Dog Control Bill and says:

"We, the undersigned, call on the government to repeal the Dogs Act 1871, the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and the Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997. We petition the Government to repeal the Dangerous Dogs Act and replace it with alternative legislation that;

• Protects the public against dogs dangerously out of control without compromising any individual dog’s welfare.
• Embodies the principle of ‘deed not breed’ and opposes breed specific legislation on the grounds that a dog’s behaviour is influenced more by its environment, the training it receives and the responsibility of its owner, than it is by genetics (i.e. its breed or type). 

We support the Dog Control Bill which seeks to better protect the public, place greater responsibility on dog owners and remove the huge welfare implications affecting dogs deemed to be of a certain type."

Subject to passing the Report Stage and Third Reading, the Bill will move to the House of Commons. The Report Stage in the House of Lords will take place on 10 June.

The Kennel Club has met with the deputy mayor on several occasions to discuss the best way forward in tackling ineffective dog control legislation.

Kennel Club Communications Director Caroline Kisko says “Whilst we believe Mr Malthouse is unfortunately barking up the wrong tree in calling for increased penalties for owners of dangerous dogs, we welcome his petition as yet another sign that the general public will not be silenced regarding the huge inadequacies of current ‘dangerous dog’ legislation. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 has simply taught us that demonising certain breeds makes them more attractive to the wrong kinds of people who do not think twice about flouting the law. If the law was working owners of dangerous dogs would be brought to account already, however in most cases they are not. The Kennel Club firmly believes that doing away with breed specific legislation would remove the ‘cachet’ that these dogs currently have”.

Get involved

To support the cause to change existing ‘dangerous dog’ laws go to: www.gopetition.com/petitions/repeal-and-replace-the-dangerous-dogs-act.htmlFor more information on DDASG, Lord Redesdale’s Dog Control Bill and current legislation visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/928.

ENDS
31st May 2011
[166.11]
For further press information, images or interview requests please contact:
The Kennel Club Press Office
020 7518 1008
press.office@thekennelclub.org.uk
www.thekennelclub.org.uk

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Notes to Editors
The Dog Control Bill proposes to replace failed dangerous dog legislation with a new law that would repeal breed specific legislation, introduce Dog Control Notices, and apply to both public and private places. Constructed by the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG), the Dog Control Bill is continuing its path through the legislative system after being tabled by Lord Rupert Redesdale as a Private Members Bill in 2010.

The Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group:

The Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG) is a wide-ranging group representing animal welfare, local authorities and veterinary professional organisations and includes representation from:

• Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
• The Blue Cross
• British Veterinary Association
• Dogs Trust
• Kennel Club
• Mayhew Animal Home
• RoyalCollegeof Veterinary Surgeons
• Wandsworth Borough Council
• Wood Green Animal Shelters

The Dog Control Bill is a tough new piece of legislation to replace the failed Dangerous Dogs Act and is supported by the DDASG. Specifically, the Bill would look to change the following:

Repeal all existing ‘dangerous dogs’ legislation including breed specific legislation

The police expend significant resources on enforcement of the Dangerous Dogs Act, with large amounts of money being spent on the seizure and kennelling of dogs simply because of their breed type - many of which are returned to their owners once proved to be of good temperament. Removing breed specific legislation would allow those resources to be used more effectively elsewhere, and preferably to concentrate on those dogs showing unprovoked aggression.

 Introduce Dog Control Notices

The vast majority of dog attacks are as a result of the irresponsible actions of dog owners, who have either not taken the time and trouble to train their dog correctly, or have indeed trained them to behave aggressively. Dog Control Notices will apply to all types of dog that have acted dangerously without provocation, caused an injury to another protected animal (as defined by the Animal Welfare Act 2006), caused harm, or caused a person to reasonably believe it will cause harm, and works to prevent serious incidents of aggression occurring by allowing preventative action.

Apply to both public and private places

A large proportion of dog attacks occur in the home and involve a dog that is known to the victim. The Dog Control Bill will make attacks on private property a criminal offence. Greater responsibility is therefore placed on owners to ensure that their dogs are not out of control in any place. It is not acceptable for an owner to allow their dog to behave aggressively either in the home or in a public place. The Bill does however include exemptions to cover circumstances such as an attack or aggression as a result of an attack by another animal, or on a person whilst that person is committing an offence.

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