Gov Response to BSL Petition

The Government has responded to the current Petition - which can be signed here https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/624876 until the April 2023 deadline.

At 100,000 signatures, if reached, the Government will consider a debate in Parliament, raising awareness and keeping the pressure on for smarter dog law.

DEFRA Written Response:

Repealing breed-specific controls with no other changes may increase risks to public safety. Any reforms would require careful consideration so that public safety remains at the heart of the regime.

We recognise that dog attacks can have horrific consequences, and we take this issue very seriously.

We recognise that some people are opposed to the prohibitions placed on the four types of dog under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. However, HM Government must balance the views of those who want to repeal or amend breed specific legislation with our responsibility to ensure that the public is properly protected from dog attacks.

Simply repealing the breed specific provisions contained in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 with no other changes may increase the risks to public safety, which HM Government is unwilling to do. Any changes to current legislation would require careful consideration to ensure that public safety remains at the heart of the regime.

Police and local authorities already have a range of powers available to tackle dangerous dogs and irresponsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog.

Under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (“the 1991 Act”), it is an offence to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control in any place. For the purposes of the 1991 Act, this includes any occasion on which there are grounds for reasonable apprehension that the dog in question will injure someone, whether or not it actually does so. The maximum penalty for such an offence is fourteen years’ imprisonment if it results in the death of a person; five years in the case of injury; three years if it is an attack on an assistance dog and six months where no injury is caused to a person.

Section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 allows a complaint to be made to a Magistrate’s court where a dog is “dangerous and not kept under proper control”. The court may make any Order it considers appropriate, to require the owner to keep the dog under proper control, or if necessary, that it be destroyed. 

Additionally, the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 includes specific powers to enable the police and local authorities to tackle irresponsible dog ownership. These powers can help prevent situations involving irresponsible owners of dogs becoming more serious by facilitating intervention earlier on.

The main tool to tackle this form of irresponsible dog ownership is the Community Protection Notice (CPN). These notices can be issued by local authority officers or the police to dog owners, or anyone temporarily in charge of the dog at the time. Failure to comply with a CPN is a criminal offence.

Under the 2014 Act, local authorities can also use Public Space Protection Orders to deal with a particular nuisance or problem arising in an area by imposing conditions on the use of that area. For example, a Public Space Protection Order may be used to exclude dogs from designated spaces (e.g., a children's play area in a park), require dogs to be kept on leads, or restrict the number of dogs that can be walked by one person at any one time. 

HM Government is determined to crack down on irresponsible dog ownership and to that end we are encouraging police forces and local authorities across the country to use these powers.

In December 2021, Defra published research in collaboration with Middlesex University investigating measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog. The research considers the effectiveness of current dog control measures and makes several recommendations. These relate to consistency in enforcement practice and greater use of preventative enforcement models, improved knowledge and awareness of appropriate behaviour around dogs, strengthened accreditation of dog trainers, improved data recording and collection, as well as the introduction of new legal requirements of dog ownership.

In response to this research, Defra has established a Responsible Dog Ownership working group involving police, local authorities and animal welfare organisations to consider the recommendations made in the Middlesex University report in more detail. We expect the working group to report next year and that its conclusions and recommendations will address all aspects of tackling irresponsible dog ownership effectively, from prevention to robust, consistent enforcement, focussing on owners as well as on their dogs.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Welfare of Seized Dogs

 

Appoint an Independent Team to oversee the welfare of dogs seized by Police - Please sign and share the Petition

Debbie Connolly is an experienced behaviourist & expert witness assessor for Dangerous Dogs Act cases and started this petition:

Dogs seized by Police are held in kennels whilst cases are investigated. Owners cannot be told where these kennels are located.  I am an expert witness, I assess dogs involved in bite incidents.  Some forces allow us to see the dog at the holding kennels, many forces do not or have changed their policies to prevent us visiting dogs in kennels.

I have personally made complaints to Police and RSPCA regarding unsuitable conditions, there are many incidents in the papers where dogs have died during seizure or gone home in a very poor state.  These have not made much difference.

I wrote a charter to improve the seized dog process, starting with leaving contact details with the owner and particularly allowing experts to assess all dogs at the kennels. The big names in the dog industry, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Battersea, Kennel Club etc do not wish to support this and wish to carry on with their work.  Whilst they do this, after years of them achieving no change, dogs are suffering. I intend to bring this change now.

Only the allowing of experts into kennels and the appointing of an independent inspection team can change the welfare state of seized dogs. 

Please sign and share https://www.change.org/welfareofseizeddogs

Kept Animals Bill Update

 Positive News - The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill 

The UK Government Petition has now reached over 100,000 signatures and has triggered a parliamentary debate which is scheduled to take place on the 5th December 2022.  

The discussion can be watched online on the UK Parliament You Tube channel.

The Petition can be signed and shared here - https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/619442

Please write to your own member of parliament and ask them if they will be attending the debate at Westminster 

Find details of your MP at www.writetothem.com

Lest We Forget 2022

 

Open Letter from national organisations-BSL/DDA

 

Following calls by The Mirror to widen breed specific legislation to include more dogs the Dog Control Coalition issued the following open letter:

We are all deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic events this year and agree that urgent action is necessary to effectively protect public safety. We strongly believe that the current approach for protecting public safety is not fit for purpose and in addition has a number of unintended negative consequences for both humans and dogs. Changes are absolutely necessary but to be effective, they must be informed by scientific and other robust evidence. We cannot support what the Mirror is calling for and we are deeply concerned about the proposed changes.

Aggression in dogs is a complicated behaviour. It is not simply a product of breed and breed is not a reliable predictor of aggressive behaviour. Analysis of 256 fatalities in the USA spanning a ten year period highlighted the impact of ownership and husbandry factors on dogs and the complex genetic factors and lifetime experiences (along with husbandry) that influence a dog’s behaviour and how they respond to different stimuli e.g. people, dogs and other animals. These factors include mismanagement of dogs by owners; abuse or neglect of dogs by their owners and dogs left unsupervised with a child or vulnerable adult.

Adding additional dogs to the current list of prohibited types or measures which seek to manage certain types of dog because they are believed to be more dangerous than others will not effectively protect the public. This is not just our view but was concluded by the EFRA select committee following their inquiry into dangerous dogs in 2018. Quite simply, any dog can bite and can be considered dangerous. In fact, continuing to focus on breed will continue to fail the public and harm the many dogs who live harmoniously with us.

There are undoubtedly people who are attracted to certain types of dog and intend to use them for illegal purposes. The coalition agrees that it is essential that measures are available to deter and punish owners of dogs whose behaviour is deemed dangerous however this cannot be breed specific in approach. We have long called for a different approach and for the UK Government to learn lessons from those taken by other countries which shifts the focus from breed to encouraging responsible dog ownership and education.

We want to see:

Interventions that focus on safe behaviour around dogs;

Effective legislation and enforcement with measures that allow early intervention, are preventative, evidence-based and proportionate;

A better understanding of why a dog bites to help understand better how bites can be avoided.

Yours faithfully,

 

The Dog Control Coalition:

Battersea; Blue Cross; British Veterinary Association; Dogs Trust; The Kennel Club; RSPCA; Scottish SPCA.

Petition to replace DDA/BSL with new legislation:

 Signatures Needed for the current and latest Government e-Petition which is open for signatures until April 2023. 

At 10,000 signatures the Government will give a written response and at 100,000 signatures, if reached, the Government will consider a debate in Parliament, raising awareness and keeping the pressure on for smarter dog law.

Sign Here - https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/624876

The Petition reads as below:

Repeal the current Dangerous Dogs Act and replace with new framework

We want the Government to repeal the Dangerous Dogs Act and replace it with legislation that focuses on early intervention to prevent dog bites and tackle dog-related issues regardless of breed or type, based solely on their behaviour

The Government commissioned a steering group to provide advice on policies aimed at reducing dog attacks and promoting responsible ownership of dogs. However, their report is not due until next year.

In view of shocking and tragic events that continue to result from the current legislation, urgent action is required NOW, in the interest of public safety and the welfare of dogs. Organisations involved in the Government's steering group oppose Breed Specific Legislation and agree breed is not a prediction of aggressive behaviour. We believe the current legislation is enabling more fatalities and failing to prevent the dog attack trend. It needs repeal immediately.

UK Gov Petition-Kept Animals Bill:

At 100,000 signatures the petition will be considered for debate in Parliament:

View and sign here - https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/619442

Open to the 23rd January 2023

Find the time to take the Kept Animals Bill through Parliament and make it law

Hundreds of thousands of people signed numerous petitions calling for actions that the Government has included in the Kept Animals Bill. The Government should urgently find time to allow the Bill to complete its journey through Parliament and become law.

The Government promised to find time to take this bill through the next parliamentary stages so it can receive Royal Assent and become law, yet we are still waiting. For the Government to live up to its claims to be leading the way in animal welfare there must be no further delay to this legislation becoming law.

Her Majesty The Queen

 

Rest in Peace Queen Elizabeth II

April 1926 ~ September 2022

by Eleanor Tomlinson Art

"𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗬 ~

“Well,” said the Queen to the little bear “where do you go from here”

“I am not sure your majesty” Paddington bear answered with a tear

“You see the Browns have all grown up and gone on their separate way”

Paddington continued “I am now homeless as I have nowhere else to stay”

“Well, my little friend” the Queen replied to him “this will never do at all”

“I too am all alone you can move into my palace I’m sure we will have a ball”

The little bear looked up and asked “will there be marmalade dear Queen”

Of course, she replied “the biggest spread of sandwiches you’ve ever seen”

“And cups of tea and crockery that you can drop and I will never never mind”

The little bear replied “your majesty I accept your offer you are very very kind”

Words by John Sullivan"

Pets (Microchips) Bill Presented:

 James Daly Conservative MP for Bury North presented his Private Members Bill to Parliament on 12th July and writes: 

I presented my Pets (Microchips) Bill to the House. This begins the process of moving towards it becoming law. This is a Bill that is very close to my heart as an animal lover and it brings together the campaigns of Tuk's Law and Gizmo's Law.

Tuks Law and Gizmo's Law are both campaigns that aim to help pets and their owners - potentially saving animals from unnecessary euthanasia and reconnecting cat owners with their pets if they are found deceased by local authorities.

Gizmo's Law

Gizmo's Legacy is a campaign that was set up, right here in Bury North, to ensure that Local Authorities are compelled to scan the microchips of deceased cats that are found on a road or a pavement or that are otherwise reported to the LA. This could be following a road traffic accident or just a cat that has been found. This campaign is so important because our pets are an extension of our family and may families across the UK find their cats have gone missing, many who have been involved in an accident and, unlike dogs, there is no requirement for these to be reported to the LA - nor is there a requirement for Local Authorities to scan a microchip to identify the owner.

My Private Members' Bill will ensure that Local Authorities do scan cats and search the database associated with the microchip to find ownership details to try and reunify the owners with their pet.

Tuk's Law

Tuk was a 16-month-old rescue who was euthanised on 22 December 2017. He was not scanned prior to euthanasia and his Rescue Back Ups were not contacted/notified of his death. Tuk was euthanised whilst having full rescue back up, dually registered contact details on his microchip and was presented by an individual who was not his registered keeper.

It is unconscionable that anyone could take any animal to a vet and ask that they be put down, without the vet checking to see whether the person presenting the animal is the owner, nor contacting the registered keeper of Rescue Back Up to advise them of this. Tuk's Law asked that vets are compelled to scan microchips and contact the registered keeper and rescue backups when a healthy and treatable animal is presented to them for euthanasia.

My Private Members' Bill will ensure that Vets scan microchips and make contact with registered keepers and Rescue Back Ups of healthy and treatable animals presented to them for euthanasia. It will also require Government-endorsed pet microchip databases regarding pets in England to indicate when a pet has both a registered owner and a back-up rescuer.

BSL UK Gov Petition Update

MPs on the Commons Petitions Committee have expressed disappointment about the Government's response, and called for the Government to reconsider its decision not to review breed specific legislation.

Link to the full response here 

In June MPs on the Petitions Committee wrote to Jo Churchill MP, a then Minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, expressing concern about the impact of breed-specific legislation – which bans the ownership of certain dog breeds – and the cost these provisions in the law had for some dogs.

The MPs put a number of questions to the department – including asking the Government if they’ll gather new evidence to help decide if reform is needed on the legislation, and how the Government will ensure welfare needs of all dogs held in kennels under the Dangerous Dogs Act are met.
The Committee also sought confirmation from the Government about what they were doing to protect dogs seized under the Dangerous Dogs Act who are subsequently found by a court to pose no danger to the public. The Committee asked if the Government would consider allowing the rehoming of such dogs by responsible organisations, and the removal of strict conditions that apply to all dogs of a banned breed that are allowed to return home.

Christina Rees MP, the member of the Petitions Committee who opened the most recent debate on breed specific legislation, said:
"Under current laws some breeds of dog can be kept in kennels for months pending lengthy court hearings, and often can’t be rehomed even when they pose no danger to the public. Hundreds of dogs are needlessly destroyed every year because of this cruel legislation.
"Public safety is paramount, but the law must be proportionate and not contribute to the unnecessary suffering of innocent animals.
"While I welcome the Government’s work with police forces to increase uptake of the interim exemption scheme - which allows dogs to be temporarily released and returned to their owners pending court hearings - much more needs to be done to protect the welfare of these dogs.
"I know petitioners and campaigners alike who have called for reform of breed specific legislation will be as disappointed as I am by the Government’s latest ‘copy and paste’ response on this issue."

Catherine McKinnell MP, Chair of the Petitions Committee, said:
"It is hugely disappointing that the Government appears to be completely unwilling to review breed specific provisions in the Dangerous Dogs Act.
"Since 2020, petitions calling for a change in the law to protect these innocent animals have received more than 350,000 signatures, and yet the Government has refused time and again to review legislation on banned breeds, or even gather new evidence on the risks of banned breeds and effectiveness of breed specific legislation.
"It is particularly disappointing the Minister has refused to even meet the person who started the most recent petition on this subject. The Government must recognise the significant public concern about these laws, and reconsider its decision not to review this."

Animal Welfare - Kept Animals Bill

The Bill's progress can be followed here - www.bills.parliament.uk/bills/2880

Launched by Government but not yet progressed through all stages needed to be passed as law.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will raise animal welfare standards in five key areas:

1) Puppy smuggling: The Government will introduce new powers to tackle the unethical trade of puppy smuggling by reducing the number of pets (dogs, cats and ferrets) that can travel under pet travel rules. It will also include powers for the Government to bring in further restrictions on the movement of pets on welfare grounds, for example by increasing the minimum age of imported puppies and restricting the import of pregnant dogs and dogs with mutilations such as cropped ears and tails.

2) Live exports: Live animals can endure excessively long journeys during export, causing distress and injury. EU rules prevented any changes to these journeys, but the UK Government is now free to pursue plans which would see a ban on the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening. We will become the first European country to end this practice.

3)Banning keeping primates as pets: Primates are highly intelligent animals with complex needs and require specialist care. The Government will deliver on its manifesto commitment to introduce a ban on keeping them as pets, ensuring that all primates being kept privately in England are being kept at zoo-level standards and that those unable to meet the standards are phased out.

4) Livestock worrying: The Bill will give new powers to the police to provide greater protection to livestock from dangerous and out of control dogs. The Bill will also extend this protection to other species such as llamas, ostriches and game birds.

5) Zoos: The Zoo Licensing Act will be amended to improve zoo regulations and ensure that zoos are doing more to contribute to conservation.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said:

The Kept Animals Bill will bring in some of the world’s highest and strongest protections for pets, livestock and kept wild animals.

As an independent nation outside the EU we are now able to go further than ever on animal welfare by banning the export of live animal exports for slaughter and fattening, prohibiting keeping primates as pets and bringing in new powers to tackle puppy smuggling.

This builds on the launch of our Action Plan for Animal Welfare and Animal Sentience Bill last month as part of our work to build on our status as a world leader on animal welfare.

Renting With Pets - No Blanket Ban:

 The UK Government has this month published a White Paper (not yet law) which plans to redress the balance between landlords and tenants in the private sector; one of the changes included is that tenants will be given the right to request a pet in their house, which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse. T

The new measures will form part of the 'Renters Reform Bill' which is due to be introduced into Parliament later this year (2022).

Further info can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-fairer-private-rented-sector/a-fairer-private-rented-sector

Petitions Committee-Discussion in Parliament

 On Monday 6 June, MPs will debate a petition relating to breed specific legislation.

You can watch the debate online (from 4.30pm, Monday 6 June)

There will also be a debate transcript available shortly after the conclusion of the debate.

Follow the Petitions Committee on Twitter and join the discussion using #DogSafetyDebate

Christina Rees MP, a member of the Petitions Committee, has been asked by the Committee to open the debate. MPs from all parties can take part, and the Government will send a minister to respond.

Sign the #petition here -

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/603988

Repeal Breed Specific Legislation

The petition, which has more than 114,000 signatures, states: “The Government should repeal breed specific provisions in dangerous dogs legislation. We believe these provisions are a flawed approach to public safety and an ethical failing with regards to animal welfare.”

In response to the petition, provided on 13 January 2022, the Government said: “Simply repealing the breed specific provisions in dangerous dogs legislation with no other changes would increase the risks to public safety, which the Government is unwilling to do.”

The Vet Times UK-Vet urges MP's to join debate:

 A vet is making a last ditch appeal for her professional colleagues to lobby their MPs ahead of a parliamentary debate on the Dangerous Dogs Act.

The debate will take place on 6 June after a petition calling for the Government to repeal breed specific provisions in dangerous dogs legislation reached more than 100,000 signatures.

Pit bull

Anita Mehdi from Middlesbrough started the petition to end breed specific legislation (BSL) after her Staffordshire bull terrier, Lola, was seized by the police for fitting the BSL measurements.

Police were initially called because someone reported Lola as a pit bull and, despite officers confirming she was an “obedient and gentle dog”, Lola now has to wear a muzzle in public.

Deed not breed

The BVA, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust and RSPCA all support changes to BSL in favour of a “deed not breed” approach, but vet Helen O’Hare believes the latest bid to change the law will be more effective if backed by veterinary professionals across the UK.

Earlier this week, Ms O’Hare contacted Vet Times to publicise the debate, and call on vets and vet nurses to contact their MPs and encourage them to attend the session.

‘Draconian law’

Ms O’Hare said: “A petition of more than 100,000 signatures to repeal this unjust and draconian law has resulted in an upcoming debate in parliament on Monday, 6 June.

“If you care about animal welfare and would like to fight injustice, please contact your local MP as soon as possible, educate them, and ask them to attend this debate.”

Source: News | Vet Times

Parliament to discuss Petition - EndBSL UK

A current UK Government Petition has been scheduled for debate in Parliament at 4.30pm on the 6th June, please contact your own Member of Parliament and ask them to attend the discussion, current dog law and breed specific legislation is not fit for purpose and in need of urgent repeal.

Your own MP represents you and can be contacted in a number of ways including online via:

www.writetothem.com

and

www.theyworkforyou.com

MP Christina Rees will open the debate on 6th June

The UK Gov petition is still open for signatures and can be singed here:

Repeal Breed Specific Legislation: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/603988

Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act passes - New Legislation

 The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill has completed its journey through both Houses of Parliament and has now received Royal Assent - becoming a new law.

The new Act is to make provision for an Animal Sentience Committee with functions relating to the effect of government policy on the welfare of animals as sentient beings.

Further details can be found here - Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 publications - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament

The Introduction of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill as part of the Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare can be found here: Animals to be formally recognised as sentient beings in domestic law - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• Government introduces Bill to formally recognise animals as sentient beings
• Animal Sentience Committee will put animal sentience at heart of government policy
• Bill introduced as part of government’s first of a kind Action Plan for Animal Welfare

Vertebrate animals will be recognised as sentient beings for the first time in UK law thanks to the introduction of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, introduced in Parliament today.

The legislation will also ensure that animal sentience is taken into account when developing policy across Government through the creation of a Animal Sentience Committee which will be made up of animal experts from within the field.

By enshrining sentience in domestic law in this way, any new legislation will have to take into account the fact that animals can experience feelings such as pain or joy. The Bill will underpin the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which launched yesterday and sets out the government’s plans to improve standards and eradicate cruel practices for animals both domestically and internationally.

The Bill’s introduction, fulfilling a key Manifesto commitment, will further the UK’s position as a world-leader on animal welfare. Now that we have left the EU we have the opportunity to remake laws and go further to promote animal welfare by making sure that all Government departments properly consider animal sentience when designing policy, covering all vertebrate animals from farm to forest.

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill will:

• formally recognise animals as sentient beings in domestic law
• establish an Animal Sentience Committee made up of experts to ensure cross departmental government policy considers animal sentience
• ensure Government Ministers update parliament on recommendations made by the Animal Sentience Committee

Launching the Bill, Animal Welfare minister Lord Goldsmith said:

The UK has always led the way on animal welfare and now that we’ve left the EU we are free to drive for the highest standards of animal welfare anywhere in the world.

Formally recognising in law that animals are sentient and experience feelings in the same way humans do is just the first step in our flagship Action Plan for Animal Welfare which will further transform the lives of animals in this country and strengthen our position as a global leader.

Claire Bass, Executive Director of Humane Society International/UK said:

45 of the UK’s most respected animal protection organisations have been united in calling for this Bill, which recognises that animals have the ability to experience feelings, including pain, joy and fear, and that their emotions and welfare deserve consideration and protection when laws are made.

The formation of an Animal Sentience Committee is a very welcome step; it must though be designed with the right expertise, independence, resourcing and access to information to enable it to provide robust and constructive scrutiny. We hope that it will support government’s delivery of a progressive welfare strategy built on respect for the needs of sentient animals, who enrich and improve our lives in so many ways.

James West, Senior Policy Manager, Compassion in World Farming, said:

Compassion in World Farming warmly welcome today’s publication of legislation that recognises animals as sentient beings – capable of experiencing joy, pain and suffering. We applaud this initiative that will apply to policies being developed across all UK Government departments.

We look forward to the newly established Committee being effective in ensuring that Ministers pay all due regard to animal sentience when formulating and implementing policy. As a nation of animal lovers, we should not expect anything less than granting sentient beings the legal recognition they unequivocally deserve.

The UK has a long history of improving the lives of animals, being the first country in the world to pass legislation to protect animals in 1822 with the Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act and later the landmark Protection of Animals Act in 1911.

The Government has continued to uphold this tradition of high welfare standards over the years through many reforms, ranging from banning the use of battery cages for laying hens and introducing compulsory CCTV in slaughter houses and most recently raising the maximum sentence for animal cruelty from six months to five years.

Defra launch new consultation - dog microchipping in England

 The new survey launched this month can be completed online:

Consultation on cat and dog microchipping legislation in England 

Open until 17th May 2022, this consultation is seeking views on proposals for changes to provisions in the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015,  from DEFRA as below:

Overview:

We are seeking your views on potential changes to microchipping legislation. This covers both the new mandatory cat microchipping requirements, as well as improvements to the current dog microchipping system so they work as effectively possible in reuniting pets with their owners. 

Why your views matter:

We are seeking your views proposed solutions which will help us to understand the impacts of the suggested regulatory changes.

These proposed changes aim to improve the operation of the microchipping database system, making it easier to identify pet keepers and to reunite pets with their keepers. This will mean reduced costs to local authorities, vets and animal shelters, as well benefiting animal welfare and deterring pet theft.

Gov End BSL Petition Update:

Positive News - A parliamentary debate is to be scheduled and a new steering group has been formed in  response to the latest End BSl UK Gov e-Petition, the latest response (March 2022) is as below:

The Government has set out details of a new steering group that has been established to provide advice on policies aimed at reducing dog attacks and promoting responsible ownership of dogs.

Read a letter from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, setting out details of the new steering group: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/9393/documents/161039/default/

The Secretary of State has said that the steering group held its first meeting on 24 February, and work is underway to form specialist subgroups to help inform the steering group's advice to the Government.

The Government has said it expects the work of the steering group to be concluded in early 2023, at which point the Government will consider its advice.

Why has this steering group been established?

This steering group has been established following the publication of Government-commissioned research by Middlesex University on responsible ownership across all breeds of dog.

Read Middlesex University's report: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Module=More&Location=None&ProjectID=19861

The Government has set out details of the steering group in its response to a letter from the Petitions Committee asking what work the Government is doing to review laws governing dog ownership, including dangerous dogs legislation that prohibits certain types of dog. The Committee's request for more information about the Government's work in this area followed a number of petitions, including the one you signed, calling on the Government to review the law relating to dog ownership.

Read the Committee's letter: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/8712/documents/88366/default/

What happens next

A petition calling on the Government to repeal breed specific provisions in dangerous dogs legislation is currently waiting to be scheduled for debate.

As soon as the Committee has scheduled a debate on this petition, we will let you know.

Government Petition reaches 100k - End BSL

As the UK Gov petition has reached 100,000 signatures, it will now go forward to be considered for a debate in parliament - so please write to your own MP and bring this petition and the issue to their attention, ask them if they will be attending any debate if this is to hopefully follow.

It is time to change outdated flawed breed specific legislation which does nothing to reduce dog incidents it also does not promote public safety or responsible dog ownership. We need smarter fairer dog brewed neutral legislation and educational initiatives which actually work.

www.writetothem.com

www.theyworkforyou.com

The written response to the petition from Defra is as follows:

Simply repealing the breed specific provisions in dangerous dogs legislation with no other changes would increase the risks to public safety, which the Government is unwilling to do.

I recognise that many people are opposed to the prohibitions placed on the four types of dog - Pit Bull terrier; Dogo Argentino; Fila Brasileiro and the Japanese Tosa. However, the Government must balance the views of those who want to repeal or amend the breed specific legislation with our responsibility to ensure that the public is properly protected from dog attacks.

Historically, pit bull types are powerful dogs which have been traditionally bred in the UK for dog fighting. Data gathered from 2005 onwards on fatal dog attacks show that pit bulls were involved in around one in six tragic incidents, despite the prohibitions that we have in place that have significantly limited the numbers of pit bulls in the UK. Furthermore, according to information from the Metropolitan Police, nearly 20 per cent of dogs found to be dangerously out of control in Greater London were pit bulls.

The Government, therefore, considers that a lifting of the restrictions on these types of dogs would more likely result in an increase in dog attacks, rather than contributing to any reduction in such incidents. This position is supported by the police.

Despite the general prohibitions on these types of dog, individual prohibited dogs can be kept by their owners or person for the time being in charge if a court judges that the dog is not a danger to public safety, subject to certain conditions, including being on a lead and muzzled in public.

In December 2021, Defra published research in collaboration with Middlesex University to look at responsible ownership across all breeds of dog. The research considers different approaches and the effectiveness of current dog control measures and makes several recommendations including specifically on improving the evidence base. The report will provide the basis for the consideration of reform in this area and the Government is already working with the police, local authorities, and stakeholders to consider the recommendations further.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 

(End)