Dangerous dogs
In this section you can find out more about dangerous dogs – one of the British Veterinary Association’s (BVA) current issues
Background
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, as amended in 1997, makes it illegal to own any ‘Specially Controlled Dogs’ without specific exemption from a court. However, the four types identified by the Act - the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero – are not recognised as breeds in the UK and there is no description of them in the Act. This makes identification difficult.
The BVA believes that the manner in which a dog behaves is largely a result of its inherited characteristics, but more importantly the rearing and training provided by the owner.
The BVA has therefore long been opposed in principle to any proposal or legislation that singles out particular breeds of dogs rather than targeting individual aggressive dogs. The problems caused by dangerous dogs will never be solved until dog owners appreciate that they are responsible for the actions of their animals. This is known as the ‘deed not breed’ principle.
What the BVA has done
The BVA is a member of the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG), which is calling for a new Control of Dogs Act that would aim to better protect the public against dogs that are dangerously out of control without compromising any individual dog's welfare.
The BVA recently issued a press release welcoming the government consultation on reforming dangerous dogs legislation, and calling on politicians not to let the issue become a political football during the forthcoming election campaign.
The BVA has issued a policy statement supporting the Federation of Veterinarians in Europe (FVE) position that breed specific legislation
- has been shown to be difficult to apply due to the problem of defining breeds and breed types
- engenders a false and dangerous perception that breeds not included will not show aggression, which is a normal behaviour and can be shown by any dog of any breed, type or mixed breeding
- does not discriminate between individual members of a breed, many of which may not be predisposed to aggressive behaviour
The BVA supports
Latest legislative developments: Scotland
The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill gained Royal Assent on 26 May 2010. The new Act gives primary importance to the principle of ‘deed not breed’ and is a step forward in dangerous dogs legislation. During the legislative process the BVA and the DDASG lobbied all MSPs requesting their support for an amendment which removed the reference to a dog’s “size and power” when considering whether it is out of control. This amendment was successful and the BVA issued a press release in April welcoming this result.
Latest legislative developments: England & Wales
In March Defra launched a consultation on legislation and regulations relating to dangerous dogs seeking views on whether the legislation currently in place adequately protects the public and encourages responsible dog ownership.
The BVA and BSAVA (British Small Animal Veterinary Association) submitted a joint response to the consultation.
More information