UK Dangerous Dogs Act Repeal Advances to Committee

The new Dog Control Bill in the UK has advanced to the Committee Stage within the UK Parliament.

The Bill, initially proposed by Lord Redesdale, has overcome yet another step toward becoming a law.  The Bill would replace the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991 -- which banned 4 breeds of dogs - and would then target dogs based on their behavior and, more importantly, their owners.

The Dangerous Dogs Act has been widely criticized since its inception -- and has come under even more scrutiny lately as the law has cost UK citizens millions of pounds, and the number of dogs seized under the ordinance has continued to increase as have the number of dog bite hospitalizations (bites requiring hospitalizations have gone up 43% nationally in just the past 5 years).

In April of last year, Scotland passed a new ordinance that focuses on dog ownership and dog behavior (vs breeds) in hopes of getting the Dangerous Dogs Act repealed. And as more organizations have come forward in opposition to the Dangerous Dogs Act, there has become more pressure on the UK Government to fix the failed legislation. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently released their findings noting that 88% of the organizations they surveyed felt the Dangerous Dogs Act was not effective in dealing with dangerous dogs.

The UK is looking to join other European nations like Scotland,  Italy and The Netherlands in repealing their failed breed bands.  The move to committee is yet another positive step in the process.

Comments

[Jennifer]

I was really excited to read this, Brent! Which is why I'm so sad to report that this bill has been postponed and did not get to the committee stage. Considering the tone of the press release, I think they did not expect the postponement. I hope that they are able to get it moving again. A repeal of the DDA would be a huge step forward.

[Cheryl Benson]

Can you give me some information on where the UK is at with its repeal of the Dangerous Dogs Act? I see it was postponed early this year. What has happened since then? We in Ontario, Canada are working hard to repeal our Breed Specific Legislation and it will go to second reading in February 2012.