Written evidence submitted by Margit Herbath (DDL0123)
Honourable members of The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee,
I am writing to express my great hopes that the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 can be amended to exclude any breed specific legislation. BSL has proven to be difficult and expensive to enforce as well as ineffective at reducing attacks. Non-breed specific Dangerous Dog legislation that uses a basis of temperament and punishes irresponsible owners is more effective and would be of greater benefit to the UK.
BSL singles out specific dog breeds based on subjective identification of traits similar to those of the breed being banned.
The term “pit bull” actually encompasses several breeds, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, as well as any mix of these or other dogs. It is also worth noting that according to the American Temperament Test Society, more American Pit Bull Terriers pass (86%) than other breeds who are not typically targeted, including the Border Collie (81%), the Cocker Spaniel (82%), and the Beagle (81%).
BSL is very costly for the government to implement and enforce. The difficulty of correctly identifying the banned breeds places a strain on officials. The owners of banned breeds frequently take the matter to court on the grounds of constitutionality, costing the government precious time and money. Many other breeds share “pit bull” characteristics, including boxers, bulldogs, and bullmastiffs. Short of genetic testing, it is impossible to identify with 100% accuracy a dog truly belonging to the “pit bull” determination. This makes BSL very difficult to implement and enforce.
A more effective means of animal control is to implement and enforce dangerous dog laws banning dangerous dogs by the individual dog’s temperament rather than basing the determination solely on breed. Enforcing strong punishment for irresponsible ownership is also more effective and can actually bring in funds through fines and community service penalties. Police also tend to find more than vicious dogs at dog fighting raids; drugs and other illicit activity are common in this circle. Taking guilty criminals off the street instead of innocent animals is a more effective means of managing the problem.
The city of Calgary, Alberta Canada has successfully reduced dog bites without implementing any breed specific legislation by focusing on responsible ownership.
As a concerned citizen, I ask that you take the responsible road and avoid discriminating about dogs by breed. Please opt for Dangerous Dog laws that ban vicious dogs and punish irresponsible owners.