5 Responses

1. daniel cody

   September 14th, 2007 at 4:58 am

   1

   i think a licence would be a great idea to stop just anyone getting a dog. i have always owned bull breeds of some sort without incident but i see far too many people that can’t control their collies or other dogs which means that my dogs have been bitten many times by other dogs because some people just don’t train or scocilaise their pups.

2. Marc Thomas

   October 22nd, 2007 at 11:31 am

   2

   Fantastic idea a dog licence, with the owner liable for the dog this is what people should be thinking!!
   To ban certain breeds of dog is worthless it will cause more problems
   problem 1. The dog owner changes breed and makes that breed just as nasty but all is legal!
   problem 2. Its a creation of jobs, the people who use the dogs for fighting and most other low life scum will now be able to sell these dogs at double the price you just made a new blackmarket item!

   As we see on the last paorama with the media focusing on the fighting side to the animal, yes we will see a mean and highly strung dog but its down to human control.
   THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BAD DOG ITS A BAD OWNER.

   Banning a particular type off breed is worthless it causes more problems and more of the tax payers money to control and ”try” and fix.

   If this country could apply a license all expenses could and would be charged to the dog owner.

   Tragic deaths that have occured may not have been occured if all humans had to be vetted makes sense people push for it!!

3. Racheal

   December 10th, 2007 at 7:35 am

   3

   This would be a good idea but how would it be enforced?

   All I hear recently is of children being attacked, why cant we focus on the children that ARE NOT being attacked by pets?
   WHY?? Because the stats are so much higher of non attacks then theyre is of attacks.

4. Helen

   May 27th, 2008 at 4:05 am

   4

   I have proposed this to my MP, and received letters from the H.O.C. saying that it is not practical, difficult to enforce, too costly, and the best bit… After consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers the current legislation just needs to be more rigorously enforced, but they intend to publish new guidance on issues surrounding dangerous and unruly dogs.

   The bit that stood out most from the reply (which comes from DEFRA through the H.O.C.) was the fact they say it would be CONTROVERSIAL to change the legislation due to evidence of major world trade in banned pit bull type dogs!

   The fact that RSPCA and many other dog groups, backed by bite stats prove the breeds shouldn’t be banned at all is overlooked!

   The suggestions I made were arrived at after lengthy discussion with many owners, and used parts of legislation for the ownership of ‘dangerous dogs’ from other countries. The conditions for dogs able to cause serious injury obviously being a consideration, but not one we shouldn’t be able to overcome should we wish. All of the people discussing this agreed they would happily be subjected to it.

   My final thought on the matter is that these people don’t care, any that do are obviously not high up enough to make a difference. Another lovely part of being British we will lose - the ability to choose our preferred breed of ‘man’s best friend’! Sad? I think so!

   Attacks are rarely unprovoked, they stem either from bad training, lack of socialization or a person (including children, who are their parents responsibility) and their direct actions towards the dog! The solution is not to ban the dog, as to follow this trend would lead to complete erradication of all canines!

   We don’t operate a ‘they’re all the same’ policy with people, as it’s considered racist - why do it with dogs?

5. Allen

   June 9th, 2008 at 8:55 am

   5

   I live in the US but the song is the same here. If we are to ban Bull Terriers because more than one has been involved in an attack, then we should ban the dumb rednecks that invariably own them instead. If my mother was mugged by a black man, I would be a racist to propose that all black men be restricted or outlawed in my town.
   Owners are the problem and they should at least be educated or made aware of the care and training methods most useful with each breed. If I buy a motorcycle, an ATV, or even a skateboard, It comes with warning labels and I am expected to use proper safety equipment. I was required to prove my ID and be background checked before I bought a gun. I have to have a license to drive a car. A cup of coffee in America has a warning label on it for cryin’ out loud!
   The problem is that any dumb cracker can go out and get a powerful and sensitive animal and treat it however he likes. The reason these powerful breeds get the bad reputation is this: They are dangerous animals if treated poorly or placed in the wrong situation. If I mistreat or poorly raise a Chihuahua and it bites someone, they need a band-aid. Then we laugh and say’”feisty one isn’t he?” If my Amstaff or my Great Dane bites you, you are going to the Emergency Room and I will be sued. Both situations are the fault of my poor parenting, but one causes more of a problem than the other.
   I don’t think people should have to have a license to own a dog, but the information and training should be free and readily available to any owner, so there is no excuse to own an unbalanced animal.