The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was put in place to make the public feel protected from dangerous dogs. The act was put in place due to the figures of dog attacks been on the rise. The act came into force on the twelfth of August 1991 and relates to dogs that are bred for fighting.
The dogs listed are not identified as a type rather than a breed. The dogs listed in the Act under section 1 are the pit-bull terrier, the Japanese tosa, the Dogo Argentrino and the Fila Braziliero. Other dogs can be added to the banned breed list. Owners of controlled dogs cannot breed them, sell them or trade them for another dog or give them away. The owner of the dog has to keep it on a lead and muzzled at all times and the person who is in control of the dog should be older than 16 years old. The muzzle has to be of a standard so the dog cannot bite a person. When a person owns a controlled dog they cannot let them wander the streets or vacate them, if they do so this is an offence and criminal sanctions would be put in place. This can be a fine, prison sentence and a ban on keeping animals.
After the 30th of November 1991, it is an offence to have specially controlled dogs unless it is being held as the result of seizure or destruction. However there is an exemption scheme which lets owners keep the controlled dogs as long as they inform police that the dog has been neutered or spayed and can be identified permanently and as long as there is an insurance plan in place, a fee has been paid and then a certificate of exemption will be issued. Many of the first attacks were from Rottweiler’s and then pit bulls and the Act was speedily passed, some say it being passed so fast has made the draft deprived.
Identifying exempt dogs
Every dog that is e...
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... prove their dog is not of the “type” when it should be the prosecution trying to prove that the dog is of the “type” . Its everyone’s human rights to be innocent until proven otherwise and this is why everyone is allowed a trial and given legal aid if they cannot afford it but this act totally stops this from happening because it was passed to fast.
For owning a dog that wasn’t registered or not obeying with the rules once it is registered by keeping it on a leash and muzzled when in public as well as in a car resulted in the dog being destroyed. There were no other options that were available to the courts. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is the greatest proof that the principles of democracy and justice have been unashamedly ignored. Parents and children were left in tears with their dogs being taken away from them for months and kept in kennels in secret locations.
Pit bulls are targeted in this ineffective solution to dog attacks. Perhaps the reason why pit bulls are feared by society because we are afraid of what they are associated with. Pit bulls are often thought of as a gangster’s pet; a role in violent and illegal activities. People stereotype this breed because of the unfortunate acts of few. In contrast, society needs to understand that they are being racist towards a breed of dog. Denver’s systematic killing of pit bulls could be compared to the actions of the Nazis during the holocaust. Although BLS is not even close to being on the same scale as the Holocaust, it is targeting and killing a specific group of living beings. Breed Specific Legislation is genocide of this breed. Denver alone has killed at least 3,500 pit bulls. It’s heart wrenching to think about how many families lost their steadfast companions because of the ignorance of others. A common phrase among pit bull supporters is, “Judge the deed: not the breed”. This rings true; if we are to bring justice to the breed, then we need to abolish BSL. True pit bulls are a far from the monsters they are made to
Have you ever had the pleasure of sitting beside an animal on the Skytrain on your commute to work or stood in line beside one at the grocery store? Did you know that there's a difference between service dogs and emotional-support animals? These are one of the many struggles that individuals are faced when in public. The article "Pets Allowed" written by Patricia Marx gives you an inside look on the struggles people are faced with while also explaining the rules and laws regulating emotional-support animals that many aren't aware of. Many business owners are being taken advantage of by pet
Justice, “requesting that they set up a regulation to test and certify service dogs and
Most of the dogs on this list are common household pets, like the Labrador retriever, and are normally non-aggressive and very friendly. Many times these dogs show no sign of aggression and pose no threat to society. Perspective One Breed-specific laws were put in place with the expectation to help prevent dog bites and attacks. The State and Federal government both came to the conclusion that this is a positive way to promote safety from dog attacks. “Both state and federal courts consistently uphold the constitutionality of breed-specific pit bull laws.... ...
The term “breed-specific legislation” is not one that comes up often in day-to-day discussion for most people. Breed-specific legislation refers to all laws that seek to restrict or eliminate ownership of certain animal breeds, most often dog breeds. It was first conceived as a method of controlling and reducing animal cruelty, as well as mitigating the occurrence of dog-related human injuries and the illegal activities of dog-fighting and related crimes. Breed-specific legislation is distinct from animal control laws that restrict ownership of wild or demonstrably dangerous (those with a past history of unacceptable, aggressive behavior) animals, because breed-specific legislation makes a blanket restriction on all animals of a certain breed regardless of individual history. This means that breed-specific legislation is often promulgated on the basis of breed reputation. In recent years it is the pit bull which has come under the scrutiny of legislative bodies, as their reputation becomes more and more sullied by street crime.
One of the biggest issues with BSL is breed identification. A law that bans a “vicious” being is too broad and can encompass many individuals as it is a personality trait rather than a breed. These laws would then be dependent on what the legislators would define “vicious” to mean. Likewise, there is confusion on what breeds are dangerous. Dogsbite.org claims that breeds such as wolf-dog hybrids, dogo argentinos, presa breeds, cane corsos, and especially pit bulls are indeed dangerous animals and should be banned. However, there are discrepancies involved in even that statement. Of the listed breeds perhaps the most commonly targeted is the pit bull. But what exactly does anyone mean by pit bull? Merriam Webster defines “pit bull” as follows, “a dog (as an American Staffordshire Terrier) of any of several breeds or a real or apparent hybrid with one or more of these breeds that was developed for and is now often trained for fighting and is noted for strength and stamina”. On the contrary, the United Kennel Club has recognized the American Pit Bull Terrier, also called APBT, as a standalone breed since 1898 when UKC founder C.Z. Bennett registered her APBT Bennet’s Ring (Uk...
It does little to address the main problem: irresponsible owners. As animals, dog’s do not have the same moral compass as humans. It is an owner’s job to train, socialize, vaccinate, neuter, license, and provide all necessary living essentials for their pet. Establishing and enforcing leash laws is also important in ensuring the safety of others. Citizens should be educated in knowing dog body language, behaviors that are safe around a dog, and what to when a dog shows hostility. Children not old enough to understand these guidelines should require adult supervision. Taking these steps will help prevent more victims from experiencing the physical and emotional pain related to a
Enacting and enforcing strong leash laws is another very effective way to help reduce dog attacks and its easy to tell whether or not a dog has a leash on, unlike the difficulty of trying to determine the breed of some dogs. If a dog is on a leash the owner has control of it, even if said dog does lunge at someone. But leash laws can't just say you must have your dog on a leash. They also need to address dogs being tied out and left outside alone. Do...
Media over exposes anything that has a negative effect on the pit bull breeds. It is their goal to adversely affect said breeds. These atrocious opinions of reporters distort the views of the public, making them think that one breed is a monstrous threat to society and needs to be banned. Breed specific legislation is unlawful and should be prohibited.
Collier, S. (2006, July). Breed-specific legislation and the pit bull terrier: Are the laws justified? The Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 1(1), 17 - 22.
recently reviewed the effectiveness of their breed bans and made the decision to repeal their bans in 2010 (BSL).... ... middle of paper ... ... Read "Breed Specific Legislation and the Pit Bull Terrier: Are the Laws Justified?"
United States. House of Representatives. Committee on Agriculture. “Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety Act.” Thomas Library of Congress. Government Publication Office. 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013
...ed by owner or animal that is not covered by another, non-breed specific portion of the Animal Control Code (i.e., vicious animal, nuisance animal, leash laws).”
What do you think of when I say the word pitbull? Do you picture a cute happy dog, wagging its tail happy to see you? Or do you see a mad dog, foaming mouth lunging at small child? If you are a owner of a pitbull then you probably see the happy cute dog. But if you don't own one then chances are you see pitbulls as mean dogs who are a threat to society. The media has painted a picture in our heads that it's in a pitbulls blood to be aggressive. Due to this false accusation, certain cities have banned breeds labeled as “aggressive”. If someone is caught owning a banned breed, the dog is usually euthanized. This is known as Breed Specific Laws or otherwise known as BSL.
The third stage is Dehumanization or in dogs you could call it decaninization. This means taking the target group, whether it be people or animals and comparing them to “wild beasts”. This helps to remove any compassion the general public might have toward the selected group. When talking about this in regard to BSL laws, the dogs get classified as being more like wild animals that could turn at any time than other dogs. This targets the owners as well, making them “the kind of people who would own a dog like that”. This breeds vigilantism and hatred, that is then encouraged by the media....