Written evidence submitted by Ian Blake (DDL0129)

 

 

  1. I have worked for the same local authority for over 10 years and in this time I have managed and delivered the council’s statutory stray dog collection function. In addition I am also an authorised Inspector for the council as defined by section 51 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. I am also an authorised officer with regards to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. In this role anything to do with dogs will come to me or my team including banned breed type dogs and in this capacity I work closely with the Police and their Dog Legislation Officer. I am also a dog owner of some 18 years having owned working guard dogs and domestic pet dogs. This is my experience and my opinion of dog related issues with regards to the matter being considered.

 

 

  1. Since 2008 to 2015 the only banned breed dogs known in the councils area had been the American Pit Bull Terrier. These dogs appeared in my experience to have been either sourced locally or purchased within the UK via adverts on the internet. After 2015 a number of Dogo Argentino dogs were found in the council’s area all of which appeared to have been bred in Eastern Europe, purchased via adverts on the internet and then imported into the UK and defined as a mastiff on the passport.

 

  1. No other type of banned breed dog as named in the DDA91 has been found and identified in the council’s area during this period.

 

  1. None of these two banned breed type dogs were found being kept in what would normally be considered as a domestic pet setting. All appeared to be being kept for some form of guarding purpose due to their owners “lifestyle”. That said however all of these dogs that I personally saw and handled were useless in their apparent guarding role as they were friendly and accepting of strangers.

 

 

  1. The one thing that all of these banned breed type dogs in the councils area did have in common was being owned by people who were too lazy or too disinterested in having any idea about how to be a responsible dog owner, meeting their dogs welfare, exercise and training needs.

 

  1. Other breeds often found in similar circumstances in my experience consist of dogs such as the American Bulldog, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Presa Canario, Causican Sheppard, German Sheppard, Rottweiler, Bully Kutta, Malinois, Dogue de Bordeaux and other Mastiff crosses. All of which are not banned breeds.

 

 

  1. In carrying out the councils function under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and dealing with dogs and their owners where breaches of this act have occurred any dog defined as a banned breed under the DDA91 has its fate sealed regardless of its behaviour and temperament. In such circumstances the council in compliance with the DDA91 has had to euthanize perfectly healthy, well behaved and none aggressive dogs simply based on the DDA91 legislation.

 

  1. Dogs of any other breed type however will have the full opportunity to have a behaviour and temperament assessment so potentially having the opportunity to be rehomed to a responsible dog owner who will meet their needs.

 

 

  1. I have, just very recently, instructed the euthanasia of a Pit Bull Terrier and a Dogo Argentino. Both dogs were kept in dire living conditions by their respective owners. Both dogs have been seen and handled by me as well as being behaviour assessed. Both dogs have shown no problems or any aggression at any time and passed their assessments. However legally the council has had no other option but to euthanize these healthy and potentially rehomable dogs to ensure legal compliance.

 

  1. In contrast, the dogs that I, in carrying out my role for the council, have experienced being genuinely aggressive towards me have been the American Bulldog, Malinois, Caucasian Sheppard, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which some people may expect to see listed given these dogs undeserved reputation. However also included in this list are the Jack Russell Terrier, Miniature Poodle, Collie, Springer Spaniel and Chiwawa. All of these dogs except two are still alive and after having received some rehabilitation are out in public with their owner who now better manages their dog’s behaviour at home and in public. Their survival has come about due to them simply not being banned breeds, only dogs that require time and rehabilitation.

 

 

  1. To ban a dog simply because of its breed type and appearance as per the DDA91 and for no other reason is not a scientific or balanced process. In addition nothing actually deals with the other concerning issue of why people want a dog like this in the first place and even if they do are they the right person with the right mind-set and skills for this type of dog.

 

  1. It’s accepted that certain breed types have a disposition to certain types of behaviours, traits or skills. However to exploit these properly a dog needs to be trained in such a way that these are drawn out in positive ways that can be controlled. For example Collie’s being used to heard livestock, Spaniels being used to flush out game, German Sheppard’s being used by the Police for seeking out hiding criminal suspects etc.

 

 

  1. In contrast any dog of any type that does not experience proper training, welfare provision and suitable living conditions will exhibit behaviours that will be deemed anti social or undesirable. How serious these behaviours become will depend on the individual dog concerned. However the larger and more powerful the breed the more of a difficulty or danger the dog may present.

 

  1. Therefore the role of the dog’s owner is key in how their dog behaves going forward. All too often in my role I see untrained, unsocialised and traumatised dogs that have clearly had a negative experience at human hands and do not know how to behave properly through no fault of their own. This is regardless of breed type or dog size.

 

  1. In discussing this with dog owners it has become apparent that the most common reason for this is that they knew nothing about the dogs breed type and temperament or even about keeping a dog until they got one, usually on a whim and without any appreciation of what was involved. The dog ultimately then suffers for this.

 

 

 

  1. Books have been written to explain the relationship between Pit Bulls and other so called “Status Dogs” and their owners with regards to the dog giving the owner some sort of macho status. That issue really needs to be explored further as the majority of Banned Breed type of dogs that I have come across tend to be owned for their ability to intimidate as opposed to their ability to be a loving family pet.

 

 

  1. In answer to the questions posed –

 

  1. How effective is the Government’s current approach to protecting the public from dangerous dog attacks? Lack of education or a lack of wanting to be educated and understand is the biggest issue I come across. Dog owners need to understand their responsibility better and understand that certain behaviours of their dog is not acceptable in certain places. In addition people need education to understand and be aware that dogs are animals which are unpredictable and do not always welcome interaction.

 

 

  1. What changes, if any, should be made to the current approach and legislation? Any reform of the DDA91 needs to take into account that any dog can pose a danger to a human regardless of its size, strength, age, appearance or breed type. Therefore the dogs demonstrated behaviour not its breed type should determine risk posed. Education needs to be mandatory to prevent dog ownership from being something that is undertaken without due consideration or thought. There needs to be consideration as to how the image of dogs generally is promoted and an understanding that they do not come house trained, they can grow to a large size depending on breed type, incur expenses such as insurance, medical bills, food, equipment and are a long term commitment of ten years plus. Having a dog needs to be seen as a lifestyle choice. That 8 week old puppy that made the owner laugh and looked cute on the website advert when it was young will make them weep when it reaches 12 months old, is untrained because they have not got the time or desire, is destroying the house through boredom and barking at everyone upsetting the neighbours and frightening the postman. Dog ownership comes too easy in the UK and there is a whole industry providing for that market but that’s a separate issue. The owner or potential owner of a banned breed type dog that is applying for an exemption needs to be vetted and checked properly to show they are educated and understand their dogs needs, are competent in managing that dog and a fit and proper person. In my experience potential applicants do not meet these criteria. In addition the transfer of an exempted banned breed should also be allowed to a person other than a “keeper” as defined under the current legislation so that dogs, like the ones I have euthanised, could potentially be rehomed to a competent person. The DDA91 is also completely unresponsive to the other breeds of dogs currently available in the UK that have a similar background of use and heritage to the four specific banned types in the DDA91.

 

  1. How can local authorities and police forces be best supported in reducing the number of dangerous dog-related incidents? Incidents in the councils area have been very low and less than 5 per year due to a proactive approach between the Police and the Council to deal with any dog related issues and reports using all the legislation available and to deal with all issues of poor ownership. In my experience all of the dogs I have been involved with have been kept in poor living conditions with uncaring owners and this has been key in driving engagement very early on before matters escalate. Therefore I cannot really comment more.

 

 

  1. What lessons could the UK learn from other countries dealing with similar issues? In Spain I understand a dog owner has to be accessed to show and competently demonstrate that they can handle and manage the type of dog they own in a public place. The Spanish licencing and permit scheme is quite rigorous and requires documents to be carried at all times as well as stating what the purpose of the dog actually is. Any dog over 25kg is classed as a dog requiring a permit as per the other dangerous or restricted breeds listed in Spain. This is something that could be used as a framework for a scheme in the UK.

June 2018