Many of you may not know but in the UK there is a law, Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which bans the possession of 4 dog breeds; mainly the Pit Bull Terrier. This law leads to the destruction of thousands of healthy and happy dogs, just because of their appearance. Now I understand that in some cases there is a necessity for legislation against dangerous dogs, however this should be placed upon the owner of the dangerous dog and not a sweeping assumption about all of the breed.
Since November 2017, I have been a Kennel Support Volunteer at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, working alongside the amazingly dedicated Re-homing and Welfare Assistants to make the dogs feel as comfortable and happy as possible during their stay. At Battersea they stand against breed specific legislation and believe strongly that the owners and socialisation of the dogs is what influences their behaviour.
Part of this legislation requires Battersea, and other rescue centres, to contact the authorities when they receive a dog from one of the 4 banned breeds. It requires rhe police to visually assess the dog and if they think the dog looks like one of the banned breeds, then by law the centre is required to put the dog down. We have had many dogs who are friendly and sweet that are put to sleep based on their appearance, and the judgement that they look like a Pit Bull. The thing is, by law this is acceptable. The legislation describes 'Pit Bull Type' dogs, meaning that even if the dog is a Labrador X Staffordshire Bull Terrier, it can still be put down because someone thought it looked like a pit bull, rather than assess the dog based on the behaviour, heritage and the actual breed.
Blue Cross figures show that 550 dogs were seized from their owners, and subsequently returned, deemed safe and harmless to society. Behavioural testing is the only way to accurately tell a dangerous dog.
YOU CAN NOT TELL A DOG'S TEMPERAMENT AND BEHAVIOUR BASED ON APPEARANCE.
No dog breed deserves to be discriminated. This legislation is outdated and ineffective. Created before there was sufficient knowledge of the breeds and behaviour association. The law was meant to reduce the number of dog attacks on humans, however the numbers haven't changed. That's not because there are still pit bulls not discovered, its because the breed of the dog has no effect on dangerous behaviour. The thing is because of a law passed so long ago, perceptions of bull breeds are still negative because of peoples fears. Media outlets do not help this, circulating sensationalised and inaccurate information about bull breeds. These laws and stipulations do not help the issue. Many Staffordshire Bull Terriers and other similar bull breeds, have to wear muzzles. A dog in a muzzle can actually mean a variety of things, greyhounds (one of the most placid and gentle breeds) usually have to wear muzzles because of their high chase drives (they get excited and vocal by small animals). But people are still scared of a dog in a muzzle, especially if that dog is one of the 'dangerous' bull breeds.
Just a little bit of truth for everyone, there is no such thing as a violent breed, behaviour issues are created not born. It needs to be understood that poor treatment from irresponsible and nasty owners, is what creates dangerous issues in a dog.
Conventionally, Pit bulls and other bull breed dogs were breed for guarding and dog fighting. This is were this negative association as come from, and it continues because people buy these dogs because they think it creates a 'tough' image. Realistically, Pit bull's are some of the most loving and sweet dogs when raised with the kindness all dogs deserve. If a dog is deprived socialisation and behavioural training, treated with abuse and taught only to respond aggressively, then of course they will be a dangerous dog! Raise a dog with love & compassion, and that love will be reciprocated no matter what the breed.💗
Being completely honest, the most aggressive dogs that I have seen in Battersea were Border Collies. Yes a border collie, just like my precious girl shown above. They were badly abused and never had any socialisation, and were effectively petrified of people. Which just shows a dangerous dog could be any breed.
I completely understand that there are many exemptions to what I have said, but please do bare in mind that before making a judgement on a dog, you need to fully understand its history. More education is needed on how to be a responsible owner, so this negative stigma surrounding bully breeds is finally dropped. Raise the dogs correctly and lovingly and there will be no 'dangerous dogs'.
You could take some action if you feel like what I've said has resonated, there are many petitions to end these breed specific legislation. Here is a link to one of the main petitions. The Blue Cross is one of the largest and reputable charities campaigning to support bull breeds: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/our-campaign-end-breed-specific-legislation
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