Dangerous Dogs Act News:

Dogs Continue to Die in “Police Care”

by Alison Green

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent to the Metropolitan Police has revealed that the death toll of dogs dying in police “care” has increased. Hot on the heels of an earlier request showing one dog died each week on average of illness or “unknown causes” a second follow up request shows the death toll average is now 2 dogs a week.

The FOI, requested by a member of DDA Watch, shows that during 18 weeks and 4 days a total of 41 dogs died of illness while held at secret locations on behalf of the Metropolitan Police.

A Parvo outbreak reportedly claimed the lives of four dogs during the time period of the latest FOI but the Met Police state they do not hold records on the causes of death.

During a slightly longer period from 2nd May and 31st September 2008 220 dogs were held as alleged banned breeds contrary to section one of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991(DDA).

Only 15 of those 220 were held under section three of the Act, where the behaviour of a dog was an issue. A further 67 “legal” dogs were also held under section three.

Many dogs seized are taken without any information on the health of the dog being requested and once seized, owners have no way of overseeing their dog’s welfare.

Dogs are taken to secret locations and owners are rarely given updates on their dogs often leaving them not knowing there is a welfare issue until the dog has died.

Welfare of returned dogs also continues to raise concerns as dogs are returned without any veterinary details. One dog seized as a banned breed and later released as not being “pit bull type”, was in bad condition and spent 12 days on a drip suffering from parvo virus. His owner was given no information on his return.

The UK claims to be a nation of animal lovers yet it almost appears as though the Authorities are above the law.

If the Met total of 101 dogs dying over an 18 month period had happened at a standard boarding or rescue establishment the RSPCA would be in and taking action quicker than you can blink yet this isn’t happening.

When the DDA first came into force 3377 dogs lost their lives. A further 770 dogs were ordered to be killed between 1991-1997.

DDA watch hold a “Welfare Log” which shows 52 further dogs have died as a direct result of the Act (not including destruction orders). That’s nearly 4.5 THOUSAND dogs. All now dead.

The Dangerous Dogs Act is flawed. It does not work. It is the laughing stock of parliament with each new piece of legislation being discussed compared with the DDA as what not to do!

It costs millions of pounds of tax payers money yet Defra remain firm in their stance that the DDA works and is issuing “guidance” to enforcement agencies in 2009, which will surely lead to more seizures and more deaths while failing to protect the public.

The public cries of “repeal the Dangerous Dogs Act” are non existent from the major dog organisations. They state “deed not breed” but are often quoted as blaming “political climate” as a reason for not protecting the dogs.

Rescue centres caught up in the Act must also be feeling the pressure yet nothing is publicly spoken about. They must be destroying dogs guilty on their appearance yet behind closed doors it continues to happen. “Hear no evil, see no evil speak no evil” appears to be the case when it comes to dogs held under the DDA.

Dogs are dying due to a bad law that does not work. Every dog dying is losing its life because we, this nation of animal lovers, from individuals to large canine organisations, are happy to continue to sell out the dogs we claim to adore because of our failures to protect the public. The DDA is a massive welfare scandal.

The people in London are seeing this in the worst possible way yet all the while this law is in place innocent dogs will continue to die.

So ask yourself this: what are YOU doing to see it repealed? Because if you are doing nothing, nothing is what you can expect to see in return and the death of innocent dogs, is in your name.

Copyright © Alison Green December 2008

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