Dangerous Dog related safety for the public and environment
Watch this postI am currently raising awareness of dog attacks and what laws need to be in place.I have kept dogs all my life and experience of German Shepherds down to tiny Yorkshire Terriers. All were highly trained and under good management. Safety in the home was paramount for the family and visitors.Since the influx of dangerous breeds there has been a huge rise in dog attacks and deaths of those both in the home and out in the community.My research of how best to control dogs better in focus groups and street questionnaires. I have now out completed a potential''green paper'' for Government legislation and would like to put this before all Silversurfers of the forum for feed back and suggestions.
(1) Listing 10 most dangerous breeds such as Akitas/GSD/Husky/Pitbulls/Staffordshire BT and the rest that need proper training and restrictions.
(2)Dog Licences that should cost £15.00 for dangerous and large dogs regardless of breeds and to include 'Hybrids' and large Mongrels where one breed can be defined
(3)Ear tags as in cattle that identify dangerous breeds or 'in ear marking by Vets
(4) Every dog micro chipped number added to the yearly Electoral List and including dog licence ref number
(5) Muzzle straps to be used on all dangerous dogs and those that pose danger to the public at all times.A standing fine to be issued for none-conforming.owners.of £60 and a written warning by the Council Offices responsible for safety of environment
(6)PCSO's in the community to check up on owners as they have little else in their roles which would build confidence of the public to be protected owing to bad owners.
(7)A certificate of basic training CBT through Rescue Centres who are skilled at training.The fee could range from £10 to £20 depending on large and medium dogs of the dangerous breeds and the rescue centres can benefit from the fees. Minimum training over a 8 to 10 week period or longer if the owner is struggling.Example of this was demonstrated by me in 1988.I attended a 12 week course of training my GSD where I had to travel on the bus-turn up in the rain/snow/hail and the rest.Complete obstacle course and close ear to ear commands.To complete the training period a certificate with a Rosette would encourage more people to take part and confidence to carry on with their training and a sense of pride of their dogs
(8) More Council Officers as Dog Wardens with a proper run centres and emergency numbers available for dogs on the loose and attacks by dogs.It should not just be the responsibllity of the RSPCA who have neither the funds nor enough Officers to work 24 hours to protect the public.We should see more ASPCA centres that are able to act immediately as in America.
(9)Those that behave irresponsible and their dogs that have attacked a member of the public should face serious fines and barred from keeping a dog for at least 5yrs and the dog to be confiscated.Sadly some of these dogs can not be re-homed and sadly we have to be prepared that it may be necessary for the dog to be put to sleep
(10)Lottery funding to be diverted in to more Rescue centres to be built and funded.We as the public have the right to be protected and dogs that attack need to be removed for the safety of others.
This is not a exhaustible list and amendments should be added through statistical information I welcome all thoughts and further suggestions for and against these suggestions
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Sadly of course it would be the very people who shouldn't have dogs that wouldn't pay. Also payment for those with genuine hardship for example a pensioner should be deferred. An animal can make such a difference.
Yes training and yes lottery money. What a good idea.
No to the casual putting down of those poor dogs that have been abused.
Why not have more public notifications as on TV to tell people to report abuse in their area should they see it.
Also no pussyfooting about. Ban for life...
the parks have said they have been knocked over by large dogs. Owners should stay close and vigilant with their pets at all times. It isnt about the breed of dog it is about the maturity of the owner.
Ear tagging dogs? Have you never seen the tattered ears of some cattle when they've ripped theirs out - usually on feed barriers? Why inflict that on dogs. And could you imagine a chihuahua with a pair of ear tags? It'd look like Bet Lynch ! (To be fair, the ear tagging bit might be meant to apply only to large dogs). And don't even think about ear tattoos - just won't work. They wear out, the skin gets dirty and greasy.... just forget it. Stick to microchips - just make sure all appropriate authorities have access to one.
And you say large mongrels should be licensed. What's large? A certain weight? That can vary. Dog's physical size? Lets say you define above 24" at the shoulder as large. Where exactly is the shoulder? What about dogs wriggling about? What about nervous dogs?
Licensing for dogs? God help us, another money making scheme for whoever gets the job and a very unfair, expensive and tiresome burden for the dog -owning public.
My answer. Enforce the rules that are already there and strengthen where absolutely essential. Lifetime bans that actually are life for example. Hammer owners of puppy farms. Enforce the Animal Welfare Act PROPERLY. Perhaps requiring Local Authorities to be more involved in animal welfare (some elect to be so involved whilst others do not). I'd even consider removing the Dangerous Dogs Act as is - it's a badly written piece of knee-jerk legislation that at the very least needs major amendments.
In the park however she has been attacked by a German Shepherd and a Jack Russel and d=she did not retaliate.
However my beautiful Tri Colour Collie that I bought when I was 18 was very snappy - NOT his fault but mine - I bought him from a breeder and didn't have a clue about correctly training and caring for a dog. He was well looked after and sadly died aged 16
If I knew back then what I know now his upbringing would have been very very different!
None of your 'proposals' are even remotely workable, back to the drawing board Einstein!
The media, normally the red top and tabloid papers, go out of their way to sensationalise any animal attack to satisfy the morbid curiosity of their readers. The stories are printed without any attempt to see whether there was a reason why the animal attacked. I have seen children, and adults, who thought it was great fun to torment, throw stones at and provoke dogs and then run crying that the nasty dog attacked me for no reason; is that information included in press. All animals have the right to be protected from
As a dog owner for more than 50 years, the idea of bringing back the pet license is one that I would wholeheartedly support.
With regard to most of the other points suggested by Sarne above, I suggest he looks at what sanctions the law currently has at its command. He should also ask local tax payers if they prepared to either pay increased council tax and/or lose another local service to pay for all the extra wardens and PCSO's. However, the vast majority of local authorities already have well trained teams of animal wardens, local emergency numbers and access to well established kenneling centres where stray dogs can be housed.
I would be interested in where Sarne conducted his/her 'focus groups and street questionnaires', because I haven't seen or heard of these, nor have any of my friends, colleagues and fellow dog owners.
We had a mixed breed dog when I was a child who protected me from everyone, even my parents, but my father also taught us the importance of respecting her as a dog not as a human (even though I used to dress her up in dolls clothes). When I was attacked by our neighbours german shepherd, my father made it clear the dog wasn't at fault as I had no right going to look at her puppies unaccompanied. The dog was doing what any mother would do in protecting her young, she never once attacked anyone else. Today, only the attack would be reported (I was hospitalised) not the circumstances in which the attack occurred. But then are we not a 'blame' culture?
A saying of Martin Luther's that I often quote is that humans are such, that if a man falls off his horse on the left-hand side, then he'll make certain next time to fall off on the right. So what could the left-hand side culture of our youth have been?
(With perhaps an apology from me for equating your youth with my somewhat earlier one :-} I'm a wartime child who was very close to his grandparents, and their childhood was in Queen Victoria's reign.)
Don't worry Keith, I have no hang ups about my age even my great-niece thought I was older than her gran who is actually the older by 3 years! At least I look as if I have lived......
You might well know about Boris Becker's response when a reporter interviewed him expressing terms of high tragedy after a defeat at Wimbledon. It's akin to the Tom Daley report.
My husband refers to himself as a wrinkly ninja!
I must look out for the book.