MPs to debate adding Staffies to dangerous dogs list

dowie

dowie

dowie

Caporegime
Joined
29 Jan 2008
Posts
59,180
https://www.express.co.uk/news/natu...l-Terriers-dangerous-dogs-list-MPs-debate-ban

MPs are discussing controversial calls for Staffordshire Bull Terriers – Staffies, to their thousands of fans – to be added to the banned dangerous dogs list.

Animal rights group PETA are calling for Staffies to join Pit Bulls and three other “fighting dogs” – the Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasiliero – to be proscribed under the controversial Dangerous Dogs Act.

PETA’s calls have created such a backlash among dog lovers that more than 160,000 people signed a Government e-petition to generate a Parliamentary debate, declaring: “It would be a terrible tragedy for the dog lovers of the UK to lose the right to own one of these great companions.”

Today the country’s leading animal welfare charities, including the RSPCA, Kennel Club, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross and Battersea (dogs and cats home), came together to call on MPs to reject PETA’s demands.
Click to expand...

Probably a good idea (tbh.. we ought to license dogs in general anyway). Frankly the current legislation re: "pit bulls" is a bit flawed and ought to simply cover all "pit bull" type dogs, there are plenty of kids in London who love these types of dogs and do use them as weapons (the lines are very blurred as to when a dog becomes a pit bull so a broader category might well be preferable).

Yes I'm sure there are various bull terrier type dogs that are absolutely fine with kids etc... but it would still be a good thing for the breed to be reduced in numbers and a bit more caution taken re: ownership. As much as people can trot out the usual stuff about "oh did you know a Chihuahua is very aggressive" - it completely misses the point, a Chihuahua can do pretty much naff all if it kicks off whereas a Staffie poses a big problem if it does so and frankly plenty of the current owners would have no chance of controlling them if they did. Plenty of the chavs in London walk them off lead when away from parks etc.. if the existing owners were required to neuter them + use a lead and muzzle then suddenly the whole status dog thing takes a bit of a hit.

In b4:

"staffies are dogs of peace"
"not all staffies"
"I av a council estate dog staffie and it iz well friendly wiv my children innit"
 
Some of the most vicious dogs I know (and have been bitten by) are breeds under a foot tall.

And if you think it's easy to unclamp the Jaws of a small breed then you're mistaken.

ANY dog can be vicious. Mostly it'll be upbringing or training (or lack of).
 
So PETA *spit* would happy for thousands of Staffies to be forcibly taken from their owners and locked away on doggy death row would they? Bunch of hypocritical *****.

My Sister's old Staffy was soft as anything and daft as a brush. Her neighbour's little Chihuahua though, that thing was a right nasty little vicious rat and bit me on numerous occasions.
 
Ridiculous, I've never encountered an agressive Staffie, absolutely every one has been extremely gentle and loyal.

We need to add the chavs who train ANY breed of dog to be agressuve to he dangerous ******* scumbags list.
 
You don't need to worry about MPs banning staffies, they've heard evidence from experts who say banning breeds doesn't reduce the number of attacks.

Personally, I'd bring back dog licences.
 
billysielu said:
You don't need to worry about MPs banning staffies, they've heard evidence from experts who say banning breeds doesn't reduce the number of attacks.

Personally, I'd bring back dog licences.
Click to expand...


Makes perfect sense - bad owners aren't going to abide by bans.

Not sure how licences help tbh as again they'll just be ignored by scum. See driving licences as a prime example.
 
One thing that annoys me with Staffies is the owners who refuse to recognise the signs when their dog isn't getting on well with someone because it is always so loyal and gentle with their kids - really does my head in and often leads to completely avoidable situations.

Largely the Staffies in the UK come from stock for want of a better way of putting it that have a long legacy of being bred as companion animals and tend to not really be a problem but occasionally you get them that come from a different background that can be a very different beast and again not always recognised as such - especially as likewise they tend to be loyal to their "family".
 
neil_g said:
And if you think it's easy to unclamp the Jaws of a small breed then you're mistaken.

ANY dog can be vicious. Mostly it'll be upbringing or training (or lack of).
Click to expand...

Yes any dog can be vicious, it's totally missing the point though - when you have a pit bull type dog deciding to be vicious then the consequences are very different to plenty of other dogs.

wudJzQU.jpg


Strangely enough you don't tend to see Chihuahuas on that list... fact is there are much more severe consequences if a pit bull type dog kicks off and it can lead to deaths or severe injuries. It is pretty obvious why, they're muscular little things with massive powerful jaws.

XeNoN89 said:
Ridiculous, I've never encountered an agressive Staffie, absolutely every one has been extremely gentle and loyal.

We need to add the chavs who train ANY breed of dog to be agressuve to he dangerous ******* scumbags list.
Click to expand...

I've never encountered a gun owner I'd be worried about, every gun owner I know is very sensible, has never been in trouble with the law and would never kill anyone. I don't think that firearms should be a free for all in the UK though.

Fact is there are plenty of owners of bull terrier types who train them to be aggressive and use them as weapons (in place of knives) - go to any number of London parks and you'll frequently see low branches on trees covered in bite marks from where the owners of these dogs train them to hang from them in an attempt to strengthen their jaws, train them to be aggressive.

I'm not suggesting that current owners should need do anything more than simply muzzle their dogs when outside and make sure their neutered, IMO the introduction of Staffies to the list ought to contain some provision for current owners with just irresponsible ones who let them off the lead in the streets etc.. or who have their dog involved in attacks etc.. affected.

Fact is that owners of staffies are disproportionately irresponsible dog owners too - they're massively overrepresented in most dog kennels.
 
What needs to be stamped out is 'backyard breeding', not the breed itself. That's where half the problem stems from, chavs who think breeding dogs is an easy few hundred quid on facebay.

Any responsible owner will have their dog on a lead anyway, muzzling is pointless for them. Any irresponsible ones aren't going to start muzzling any more than they keep them on a lead, it would be a complete waste of time imo.
 
My Mums Staffie was my bestest friend when I was a toddler 55 years ago.

It really was like "Timmy and the colonel" from 101 Dalmatians.

I can remember talking to her at a time in my life when I would not have been able to talk to other humans...

Staffies are incredibly loyal and courageous, they will give up their lives for their people without even thinking about it.

Unfortunately this is why they can also be easily exploited by total ***** who I would happily be seen executed!

Do not ban Staffies. Just ban the ***** who want to turn them into junkyard dogs..! :((
 
What they need to do is start teaching people to be more personally responsible when they own a dangerous dogs and make punishment for failing to be stiffer but our governments answer to everything is based around the idea that it's easier to just ban everything than to treat the population like adults and because they treat everyone like overgrown babies people generally tend to act irresponsibly. If you enact laws around a tiny proportion of events then eventually you'll be making laws about everything, where does it stop.
 
This was a Westminster Hall debate today, not in the commons at all.

It was rejected out of hand. Every M.P. there came out in support of the staffie and most attacked the current legislation, saying that too many dogs of good character are being needlessly destroyed just because they are a certain breed. Deed not breed seemed to be the theme of the argument.

The Defra minister at the end confirmed that it would go no further and staffies would definitely not be added to the dangerous dogs list. End of story. There may also be further review of the current legislation sometime in the future.
 
robfosters said:
The Defra minister at the end confirmed that it would go no further and staffies would definitely not be added to the dangerous dogs list. End of story. There may also be further review of the current legislation sometime in the future.
Click to expand...

complete cop out, the fact they excluded them in 97 has allowed the current situation with breeding where there isn't really a clear distinction between banned pit bulls and some dogs claimed to be "staffies" - they're all put bull type dogs and should have all been on the list from the start - if they had been then we'd have likely reduced some fatalities and serious injuries and perhaps reduced too the number of dogs kept in shelters.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom