KC DOG BLOG

Failure of breed-specific policy in the UK

In 1991, the United Kingdom issued its Dangerous Dogs Act which essentially banned four different breeds of dogs that they, at the time, considered more dangerous than other types of dogs: Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and American Pit Bull Terrier.

However, statistics contine to show that the legislation has not only been ineffective in promoting pubic safety, it may also have been counter-productive in its efforts.

According to a recent article in The Guardian, there were roughly 1,150 dog bites that led to hospitalization in 1990 -- the year before the DDA was enacted. By 2012, the number had risen steadily to 6,447 -- a whopping 460% increase in major bites. You can get an interactive chart at the link.

 Much of they're problem tends to be directly linked to the ordinance itself.

Last week, a 14 year old UK girl , Jade Anderson, was tragically killed by 4 dogs in a home where she was alone and visiting. By most accounts in the report, the girl was carrying a meat pie that the dogs were interested in, she tried to keep them away from the food and in the commotion, ended up attacked and killed by the dogs.

Based on the reports, there were three different breeds of dogs involved in the attack.

However, instead of focusing on the circumstances that led up to the attack, and caused it (pack mentality, victim potentially not well known to the dogs, the dogs being very large and too numberous and would not have been able to be handled by a young girl, potential food aggression), the authorities seem to be more focused on determining that none of the dogs involved were unlawful breeds.

Because they seem so focused on what type of dog is involved, they are completely missing the causal factors that may be leading up to the attack. And THUS, many residents of the UK are being misled into thinking they are 'safe' because they have dogs that are not of the restricted breeds instead of making appropriate procautions or being aware of warning signs. While most dogs ARE safe, dog owners certainly need to be aware of what warning signs to look for.

But they don't. And for 20 years people have been led down the path of faulty, misleading information, and the ignorance is causing more and more people to be injured. 

Dog attacks are not a breed-specific issue, and when it comes to dogs, there are dozens upon dozens of breeds that are large, strong, and capable of causing harm if they are poorly handled or raised, and have beahvioral issues that are left uncorrected -- especially when the largest number of the severe bite victims (nearly 20%) are under the age of 9 and thus, more vulnerable to bites (and less aware of warning signs given by the canine).

The UK breed ban has been a huge failure -- not only failing to protect the public from severe bites, but actually, through focusing on the wrong issues, having the opposite impact that was intended.

The failure has caused the majority of the professional organizations in the UK to be very vocal in speaking out against the breed ban -- including The British Veterinary Association, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, the Kennel Club and the RSPCA.

The UK continues to be a glaring example of the failure of focusing on the look of the dog instead of on responsible bet ownership issues and the behavior of the dogs.

 

UK Breed Ban One Step Closer to being repealed

In 1991, the United Kingdom passed a ban on 4 breeds of dogs: American Pit Bull Terriers, Fila Brasilerio, Dogo Argentino and Japanese Tosas under its Dangerous Dogs Act.

However, the law has been failing -- costing them millions of dollars to enforce and seen the number of major dog bites rise throughout the UK.

About 18 months ago, Scotland passed a bill to repeal its Breed Ban.  Now, it looks like the rest of the UK is ready to follow suit. 

Yesterday, a new law that would repeal the ban on these four breeds of dogs passed the final stage through the House of Lords.

This sounds positive, but what's next?

The bill now goes to the House of Commons -- where it will also have 3 readings -- and if it passes the House of Commons, it will, essentially repeal the law.  This handy little chart will help explain this.

Now, here is the important distinction. Most bills in the UK start in the House of Commons and then progress to the House of Lords (where bills are more likely to be killed). The House of Commons' (the parliament) members are voted in, where as the Lords are not. So unless there was strong constituency to oppose the bill, it would seem unlikely that the Commons would override the desire of the Lords (although it could happen). So this DEFINITELY speaks well of the progress of the bill.

This is a great  step, and a good sign of another failed law that is moving toward repeal. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

Editor's Note:  Thanks to Ryan O'Meara of K9 Magazine for the help on my now limited understanding of British Law, since there was no convenient School House Rock Video to help me out, like the US version. Ryan has been a very vocal supporter of the BSL repeal. 

UK Dangerous Dogs Act costing them millions

3 million UK pounds.

A quick conversion puts that at just under $5 million.

That is the estimated yearly expense just 15 forces in the UK have spent just since 2005 trying to enforce the national ban on four breeds of dogs under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act. 

That's $5 million a year. For the past 6 years. That's $30 million.

The number of suspected illegal dogs has risen from 236 to 1,786  per year.  This $30 million is the cost to impound these dogs (whether they've acted aggressively or not), try to prosecute in court, and kennel and vet the dogs while they wait. One dog was left on death row for 4 years - nearly 1/2 it's natural life.  Kennel costs and vet costs in that city alone grew to 2.5 million pounds.

And it's failing.

The number of dogs attacks on people has risen by 79% in London over the past 5 years.

And the courts have allowed 1,324 animals to live because they were determined not to be banned dogs -- and placed on an index of exempted dogs.

Luciana Berger, the Labour MP for Wavertree said: "Police are shelling out thousands, if not millions of pounds on kenneling. What makes the situatio worse is that there is no provision in current legislation for the police to recover the money they've spent looking after the dogs, before the legal process has ended. This situation cannot continue, particularly at a time when police are facing 20% cuts."

Her solution is flawed of course. Her solution includes killing the dogs faster....instead of recognizing that the legislation is based on a flawed premise, is unenforceable, and failing at doing its core purpose -- which is protecting the public.

Fortunately a repeal of the law is advancing through the House of Lords. Hopefully at some point the government will realize what a costly mistake their breed ban was. Many places in the US are now realizing it.  And it's about time.

 

 

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.

Pressure on the UK mounting over Dangerous Dogs ACt

In 1991, the UK passed the Dangerous Dogs Act -- which put bans on four breeds of dogs: American Pit Bull Terriers, Fila Brasilero, Dogo Argentino and Japanese Tosas.

But in the wake of yet another fatal dog attack in the country, the pressure to repeal the ban is mounting.

In fairness, it is not just over the fatal dog attack. Attacks in the UK have gone up tremendously over the past 15 years.  The Bristol area the UK has seen dog bites quintuple over the past 4 years (although the starting number was fairly small). Attacks requiring hospitalization in the whole country have gone up 66% over the past 15 years.

The whole mess has led to calls for the UK to repeal the Dangerous Dogs Act. The nation has noted that in many ways, the ban has actually increased the demand for the banned breeds and that the problems continue to go up.  As one MP said:

"We think it is necessary to move away from breed-specific legislation to anti-social pets, so dog protection notices can be applied to the owner as well as the dog.  It's about trying to nip this in the bud before there are any injuries or fatalities."

The Animal Welfare Minister Jim Pace agrees:

"The issue of dangerous dogs is not a problem of dangerous breeds, but also one of bad owners.  They need to be held to account and stopped from ruining people's lives." 

The media is also calling for changes. One columnist from the London Telegraph, the nation's largest newspaper, is calling for the law to be changed. 

"When 'dangerous breeds' are banned, the response of those who desire to have large muscular dogs that look intimidating is predictable: they seek out a similar type dog that is not on the list of dangerous breeds.....the latest 'dog attack' episode clearly shows the uselessness of breed specific legislation."

A recent report Department for Enviornment, Food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA, released their findings, and now 88% of the responses from over fifty organizations (including the British Veterinary Medical Association, Metropolitan Police Service and National Dog Warden Association) say they don't believe the current legislation is effective at protecting the public, and 71% believe BSL should be repealed.

The UK is starting to feel the pressure and the public is realizing the failure of the legislation. Hopefully they will see that the law is failing, and put into place a solid, breed-neutral law that will target aggressive dogs, based on behavior, that will work on removing dangerous dogs regardless of what breed of dog it is.  Many other countries in Europe have repealed their breed-specific laws and replaced them with breed neutral laws - - including Scotland (to the best of their abilities, they are still technically under the Dangerous Dogs Act), Italy, and The Netherlands.

Smart governments are willing to learn from their mistakes, recognize ineffective policy, and change their laws.  We'll see if "smart" applies to the UK governing body.  The pressure from the public is on.

Most UK Citizens agree that national breed ban should be repealed

Last Spring, the UK's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) did a 40 question survey of residents in the nation of it's opinion of the nation's Dangerous Dogs Act (which bans 4 different breeds of dogs). According to their survey, 71% of respondents called for the legislation to be repealed.

For nearly 2 decades, animal welfare organizations, along with the British Veterinary Association and The Kennel Club have been calling for a repeal of the legislation and replace it with legislation that would change the emphasis to creating better care for animals and on the actions of irresponsible pet owners -- saying that this would do a better job of protecting the public.

"The problem of dangerous dogs will not be solved until the government accepts that the Dangerous Dogs Act has failed.  This view is supported by  the thousands of reponses to the consultation," said Bristish Small Animal Veterinary Association President Grant Petrie.

In addition to favoring a repeal of the legislation, 88% of the 4250 repondents said that they don't believe the current legislation is effective at protecting the public. (I personally think the idea of asking this question is ridiculous -- I really don't care if people >think< it is effective -- the statistics -- which show a 66% increase in dog attacks requiring hospitalization in the past decade speak to the ineffectiveness.  However, it does show that the majority of people REALIZE it is ineffective).

The law has been a failure....and the public support for a repeal of the law appears to be overwhelming.

UK introduces bill to repeal nationwide breed ban

On Sunday, several animal welfare organizations, veterinary professionals and local authorities joined forces to push a new Dog Control Bill in the UK that would repeal three existing dangerous dogs acts (including 2 that ban four breeds of dogs).

The organizations note that over the past five years, dog bites are up 43% nationally and 79% in London. The nation has spent roughly $17 million over the past 3 years trying to enforce the unenforcable law.

The new Dog Control Bill was proposed by Lord Redesdale and will receive its second reading on Friday, July 9.

Lord Redesdale commented: “People deserve to feel safe around dogs and this Bill goes a long way towards protecting the public through tougher action against irresponsible dog owners. The current law has done nothing but make banned breeds and their lookalikes more appealing and created the issue of status dogs because they are a status symbol.

“Owners of aggressive or violent dogs of any kind would be brought to account with this Bill, which in turn will prevent a large number of attacks by dealing with problem behaviour at the first signs of aggression rather than when an attack has taken place, as in current legislation”.

The bill is being supported by The Kennel Club and the RSPCA -- among others.

The failure of the Dangerous Dogs Act in the UK is well-documented and in April,Scotland Parliament passed a bill in a unanimous decision that puts the focus on aggressive animals, regardless of breed vs breed specific legislation. They now just wait for the UK to abolish the breed ban so they can more succesfully move forward.

If you live in the UK, please rally behind the support of this bill which would eliminate decades worth of failed policy in the UK.

Scotland Parliament passes bill to repeal breed ban

The Scotish Parliament today approved their new dangerous dog law they've been calling "dog Asbos" in a unanimous decision.  The new law gives councils greater power to impose penalties for owners of badly behaved dogs and will focus on "deed not breed". The law would replace several laws dealing with dogs in the country, including the Dangerous Dogs Act, which bans four breeds of dogs in Scotland.

Dog Asbos was proposed by MSP Alex Neil. In his proposal, he notes that the Dangerous Dogs Act was "difficult ot enforce and a huge drain on resources." "It is clear that a dog's breed is only one factor which may affect its behavior. Attempting to define the law purely in relation to breed has failed to protect the public."

The statistics support Neil. Over the past decade, Scotland has seen an over 150% increase in dog attacks.

Bill Reilly, President of the British Veterinary Association commented:

"The key message is that any dog can show aggression, particularly if it is not handled and trained properly, so legislation that provides the tools to target irresponsible ownership before it becomes a problem is very welcome. The rest of the UK should now look at Scotland and replace the failed breed-specific legislation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland."

The law is not yet final, but seems on pace to be soon. Great work by the folks in Scotland in listening to the professional experts in their community and making changes to a clearly failing law.

H/T to Ryan O'Meara at Dog Magazine and his great coverage of this law.

UK Dangerous Dogs Act - scrap the law and start from scratch

The government in theUK opted yesterday to rule out a proposal that would force all dog owners to have special insurance for their dogs. The idea for the law was initially proposed to be sure that people who were bitten by dogs were protected so that the dog owners' insurance companies would have to foot the bill for their medical bills. 

The reason the new insurance proposal was shot down: "We don't want to penalise the vast majority of responsible dog owners because they're just as concerned as everybody else about the small minority who mistreat dogs, getthem involved in dog fighting or use dogs as weapons," said Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.

"Compulsory insurance is always difficult to enforce," said Nick Starling of the Association of British Insurers. "The very people that the government is targeting -- those who mistreat their dogs or use them as weapons - are the same people who will not buy cover".

The bolded part, is exactly why the current breed ban is failing -- and why the whole Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991, needs to be thrown out, and a new one started from scratch.

*****

There should be no mistaking -- the Dangerous Dogs Act, an act that bans four different breeds of dogs, has failed.  Over the past 12 years, the UK has seen the number of people hospitalized from dog bites grow by 66%. And the number of dangerous dog cases has grown from 35 in 2002 to 719 in 2009.  The number of people who were prosecuted under the Dangerous Dogs Act has more than tripled since 1997. Now, 19 years after the Act was passed, the number of people who own dogs of the restricted breeds seems to have grown, not decreased -- causing speculation that the very act of outlawing the dogs made them MORE in demand among the people who shouldn't have them.

Wisely, the country is now, finally, admitting failure and looking at alternatives - and yet, they continue to not learn from the failure of the Dangerous Dogs Act and instead, seem destined to repeat the failure with another ill-advised piece of legislation. This isn't rocket science folks -- it's simple logic. And while all of the peope in charge of changing the law are saying the right things, the solution is somehow, completely escaping them.

****

Let's look at the two quotes from earlier:

"We don't want to penalise the vast majority of responsible dog owners because they're just as concerned as everybody else about the small minority who mistreat dogs, get them involved in dog fighting or use dogs as weapons." -- Hilary Benn

"The very people the government is targeting -- those who mistreat their dogs or use them as weapons -- are the same peope who will not buy cover." - Nick Starling

Essentially, they're talking around the issue, and don't appear to quite get it.  Here are the three key points -- from their statements -- that are essential to understand to create an effective dangerous dog law:

1) The majority of dog owners are responsible, and it is a small minority of people who are responsible for the majority of the problems.

2) Broad-sweeping ordinances that unduely impact the majority of dog owners who are not causing the problem create a) bitterness and lack of help from the responsible dog owenrs and b) enforcement issues because you now have to enforce the law upon virtually everyone even though the majority of people are not causing the problems. So enforcement resources get spread too thin and the law becomes unenforceable

3) The people who you are creating the law for in the first place, are likely not going to abide by it.

Now if you look at those three things, the answer becomes really very clear:

Focus all of your animal control/police resources on dealing with people who are mistreating dogs, fighting dogs and using them as a weapons and leave everyone else alone.  If we assume that those things are illegal anyway - -then just enforce those laws.   Don't create new laws that make criminals out of the majority of people who are NOT causing problems. This is where the current Dangerous Dogs Act has gotten into problems in the first place....it has wasted resources trying to deal with 'pit bulls' regardless of whether the dogs are actually problems or not, or whether the owners are a part of the small minority of owners that are causing problems.

Just use all of your resources to target the people who are actually causing problems. If you're not a problem, you're not a problem.

It should be that easy...and for the life of me, I cannot figure out why some governing bodies are having so many problems figuring it out.  For the UK, that means scrapping the current Dangerous Dogs Act in its entirety, get rid of the breed specific regulations, and focus on solutions that deal solely with the people who are causing problems -- starting with upped enforcement on dog fighting, using dogs for intimidation and for cruelty.  Wasting time and resources on anything else is just more of the same...which is failure.

For more on the UK:

One Bark at a Time

UK's K9 Magazine

And more from K9 Magazine

More Statistics on the UK Dangerous Dogs Act

TheUK released some more dog bite statistics.  Latest figures show that in the past year, 5,221 people were treated in hospitals last year due to dog bites -- a 66% increase over the 3,137 that were admitted 10 years ago.

Meanwhile,the article also notes that more resources are being used in enforcing the country's Dangerous Dogs Act -- with 777 people found guilty of owning breeds deemed illegal by the Act -- this is up from 237 dog owners found guilty in 1997.

The Dangerous Dogs Act was inacted in 1991 and bans 'pit bulls', Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro.  Obviously not only have they found the ban to be unenforceable, but the ban has also done nothing to improve public safety from dog bites there -- in fact, things are much, much worse.

The numbers have caused most organizations to step up and call for changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Andy Robbins of the RSPCA:

'We would like to see the law target the minority owners who are using their dog for the wrong means. Typically, lads mixed up in gangs are using stereotypically muscular, macho breeds of dog to make themselves look tough and boost their own ego rather than have the company of a pet."

LibDem Health Spokesman Norman Lamb:

"We need to tackle the culture of some individuals using dogs as a badge of honour or fashion accessory."

And Jane Kennedy, Labour MP for LIverpool Wavertree:

'If it appears that the administrative burdens of the Dangerous Dogs Act contributed in any way, however small, to the tragic death of four-year-old John-Paul Massey will you agree to review it?'

And in a separate article, Ryan O'Meara, publisher of K9 magazine calls the act a shambles:

"We need to have a new law that compels every single person who owns a dog to have compulsory education — that is the only way we are going to reverse these problems."

Clarissa Baldwin, the Chief Executive of the Dogs Trust:

"By banning certain breeds of dog rather than focusing on tackling anti-social behaviour it has not prevented a large number of dog attacks or reduced the number of pit bull terrier-type dogs in the UK. Since that act was introduced. the number of hospitalisations is reported as having doubled."

And Alison Gree, the head of DDA Watch, says the act is not working:

"As has been proven in the most horrible way in Liverpool. There have been deatsh and an amnesty, bu tit has not been effective. It has not made one jot of difference in dangerous dogs."

The UK Dangerous Dogs Act continues to show that it is ill-conceived legislation to target breeds of dogs vs focusing on irresponsible dog ownership.

Hat tip on the second article to Stop BSL.