The exact figures are not clear due to different reporting metrics and sources. This petition is closed Defra’s submission stated that there had been 31 fatalities since 2005 involving dog attacks in England and Wales.48 Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded a total of 67 fatalities following dog attack incidents between 1991 and 2015, with 37 fatalities occurring between 2005 and 2015.49, Source: Data collated from the Office for National Statistics, 21.We put it to Lord Gardiner that the increase in deaths and injuries caused by dog attacks indicated that the current approach was not protecting the public adequately. An initial review of the Dangerous Dogs Act, published five years after the law’s introduction, showed no significant reduction in dog bites.40 NHS data shows that between 2005 and 2017, the number of recorded hospitalisations rose from 4,110 up to 7,461, representing an 81 percent increase.41 The RSPCA told us that there was no evidence suggesting that prohibited breeds were a significant factor behind the rise.42 Figures from the Metropolitan Police for 2015–16 indicated that legal breeds accounted for around 80 percent of incidents involving Section 3 ‘dangerously out of control’ offences.43 The annual cost to the NHS of treating dog attack victims has been estimated at £3 million.44, 19.The total number of bites is likely to be substantially higher than the NHS hospital admission figures suggest. The Government considers that prohibition on the four types of fighting dog under Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 should remain in place. As a result, certain dog breeds are highlighted as being dangerous because of how they look, rather than act. This Briefing was last updated in August 2016. However, the law allows a person to keep an individual dog where a court has considered that it does not present a danger to public safety. One of the unfortunate results of breed stereotypes, misinformation, and irresponsible ownership is breed-specific legislation, also known as breed discriminatory bans.For canine regulation, it is important to understand the differences between the two major forms of regulation - breed-specific legislation (BSL) and breed-neutral legislation (BNL). The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 includes specific measures to enable the police and local authorities to tackle irresponsible dog ownership before a dog attack occurs. Enforcers are able to take action before dog attacks happen. Dogs placed on the Index of Exempted dogs may be kept by the owner under strict conditions, including that the dog is neutered, microchipped and kept on a lead and muzzled in public. concerns and recommendations raised throughout this Report. The court must consider the temperament of the dog and whether the intended keeper is a “fit and proper person” and other matters such as suitability of accommodation. 22.We were concerned to hear that the Government considered the Dangerous Dogs Act to be successful on the grounds that it was impossible to tell how many attacks would have occurred without the law. 13 Dogs, England and Wales, The Dangerous Dogs Exemption Schemes (England and Wales) Order 2015, 16 UK Centre for Animal Law (DDL0355) paras 11–12, 18 GOV.UK, Controlling your dog in public, 19 For the Dogs Act 1871 see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/34–35/56, for the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 Act see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/1–2/28, 20 Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, 22 See for example Blue Cross, If looks couldn’t kill, 33 Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, new Battersea research provides damning verdict on the Dangerous Dogs Act 25 years on, 25 July 2016, 34 UK Centre for Animal Law (DDL0355) para 16, 35 The Animal Behaviour, Cognition & Welfare Group, University of Lincoln (DDL0289) para 6, 40 Klassen et al, Does the dangerous dogs act protect against animal attacks: a prospective study of mammalian bites in the accident and emergency department, 1996, 41 2016–17 figures obtained from NHS Digital data, available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/. 6.6K likes. Rejected petition End Breed Specific Legislation ... the number of people who have signed the petition by country as well as in the constituency of each Member of Parliament. The only name Everyone in this room, and particularly people outside, would say, “What on earth have you done?”38, 17.He further criticised the “fixation” on Section 1 of the Act, noting that even without it, Section 3 of the Act empowered authorities to tackle dogs of any breed/type.39, 18.Despite the fairly comprehensive legislative framework aimed at preventing dog attacks, the number of bite and strike incidents has steadily increased over the years. Lord Gardiner of Kimble, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity, DEFRA He explains the mood of the country to us at the time of it's introduction. Experts agree that breed-specific legislation (BSL) and similar policies that restrict dogs based on appearance do not reduce dog bites in communities or enhance public safety.. Breed Specific Legislation fails to achieve what Parliament intended, to protect the public. 15.The UK Centre for Animal Law raised additional concerns that the current focus on prohibiting certain breeds had offered false reassurances to policymakers, and distracted attention from investigating alternative and potentially more effective methods of dog control.34 The Animal Behaviour, Cognition & Welfare Group further noted that: … the stigmatisation of certain breeds through the legislation may have inadvertently increased the value of dogs as weapons in general, or particular breeds, and thus increased the problem. We focused specifically on Section 1 of the Act. 9.Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act makes it an offence for any dog to be dangerously out of control, regardless of its breed/type. The framework must be applied by local authorities the same, whereas currently some destroy dogs with no court order. Education. The Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) 1991 was pushed through parliament in response to media and public pressure following a string of high-profile dog attacks. Watch Parliament TV: Dangerous Dogs: Breed Specific Legislation; Inquiry: Dangerous Dogs: Breed Specific Legislation; Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee; Witnesses. This data is available for all petitions on … Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2013-14 6. if a person believes the dog would injure them if they tried to stop it attacking their animal. The law was further extended to cover incidents on private property and attacks against assistance dogs.21, 11.The majority of public concern over the Dangerous Dogs Act has concentrated on the breed ban in Section 1, and there have been widespread calls for it to be repealed on animal welfare grounds.22 We accordingly pressed our witnesses for their views on the ban’s effectiveness. Legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 7. In the UK, BSL bans the ownership of four different types of dogs traditionally bred for fighting: pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero. 2005 figures obtained from BBC, Rise in dog bite admissions, 28 May 2015, 44 University of Lincoln, Pets could save NHS up to £2.45 billion a year: new report quantifies economic benefits of UK pets, 6 December 2016, 45 Westgarth et al, How many people have been bitten by dogs? Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Dogs can’t help who their owners are, yet the law unfairly places the onus of responsibility on them, rather than the irresponsible actions of the owner. This is similar to compliance levels in countries that still operate a dog licensing scheme. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 also makes it an offence to allow a dog of any breed or type to become dangerously out of control in any place. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom prohibiting or restricting certain types of dogs and codifying the criminal offence of allowing a dog of any breed to be dangerously out of control. It focuses on specific breeds, which fails to appreciate a dog is not aggressive purely on the basis of its breed. Such laws range from outright bans on the possession of these dogs, to restrictions and conditions on ownership, and often establishes a legal presumption that such dogs are dangerous or vicious. In the UK, Breed Specific Legislation was introduced and owning certain dog breeds was made illegal. and Wales, The Dangerous Dogs Exemption Schemes (England and Wales), http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/1–2/28, Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, Battersea research provides damning verdict on the Dangerous Dogs Act, Does the dangerous dogs act protect against animal attacks: a, prospective study of mammalian bites in the accident and emergency, £2.45 billion a year: new report quantifies economic benefits of, Deaths from dog bites, England and Wales, 1981 to 2015, the owner purchases third party insurance; and. Inquiry: Dangerous Dogs: Breed Specific Legislation; Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee; The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was introduced to protect the public from dangerous dog attacks. Recent research has estimated that only a third of those suffering a dog bite subsequently sought medical treatment.45 We also heard that only overnight stays would be recorded in the commonly cited hospital records; victims returning home after treatment at an accident and emergency department may not be included in these figures.46 In 2012 the Government estimated that over 200,000 people a year suffer dog bites.47, 20.Dog attack fatalities have also increased. BSL in the UK takes the form of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, which targets the pit-bull terrier. The Government is determined to crack down on irresponsible dog ownership and to that end we are encouraging police forces across the country to use these new tools. There are still issues of risk in our society and our communities”.27, 13.The British Veterinary Association and British Small Animal Veterinary Association (hereafter BVA), the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, the Kennel Club, and David Ryan, former Chair of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, were unanimous in their condemnation of the breed specific provisions in Section 1.28, 14.Dogs Trust told us there was “no evidence that there has been any effect on the number of bites”,29 and there was a “catalogue of research that tells us that breed is not a predictor” of risk.30 The RSPCA highlighted that the conditions of seizure and kennelling could be stressful for the animal and negatively affect its behaviour.31 Battersea Dogs & Cats Home told us it was “heart-breaking” to put down dogs they believed could be safely re-homed.32 The organisation has said that over 70 percent of the banned Pit Bull types in its care could have gone to new owners, but were instead required to be put down.33. The system needs to be fairer for all, dogs and humans. Identifying Pit Bull Terriers, and the prohibition on transferring Section 1 dogs. Existing Legislation 3. Review of legislation 4. It had murdered hundreds of innocent , much loved famiy pets and has cost the country millions in kenneling and court fees. We focused specifically on Section 1 of the Act. BSL needs to be scrapped and replaced with sensible legislation on controlling dogs in public and making owners responsible for their dogs regardless of size, breed or alleged 'type'. 5.Our inquiry examined whether these aims were being achieved. Wednesday 4 July, Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster. The problem. Blue Cross explains Breed Specific Legislation. Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is a type of law that prohibits or restricts particular breeds or types of dog. Children and adults are suffering catastrophic injuries. 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