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Topic: DEED NOT BREED (Read 374 times)
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K9
Chris
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Children should not be left unsupervised with dogs, say experts - get key advice on preventing injuries and have your say
Children should not be left unsupervised to play with a dog, say experts in this week's BMJ.
Their advice is part of a review aimed at doctors who deal with dog bites.
Dog bites and maulings are a worldwide problem, particularly in children, write Marina Morgan and John Palmer.
Dangerous dogs
Every year 250,000 people who have been bitten by dogs attend minor injuries and emergency units in the United Kingdom
Half of all children are reportedly bitten by dogs at some time - boys more than girls
Accurate death figures are difficult to obtain, but in the past five years, two to three cases a year have made news headlines
Advert: article continues below ∨
The report follows the death of five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson, who was mauled by a pit bull terrier at New Year. That incident left people asking ''How many more children must die?''
Prevention
In terms of prevention, they suggest that children should be taught:
to treat dogs with respect, avoid direct eye contact and to not tease them.
not to approach an unfamiliar dog; play with any dog unless under close supervision; run or scream in the presence of a dog; pet a dog without first letting it sniff you; or disturb a dog that is eating, sleeping, or caring for puppies.
Owners' responsibilities
Dog owners also need to change their behaviour, writes Rachel Besser, a children's doctor and lifetime dog owner, in an accompanying article.
It is clear that not all dog owners appreciate that children should not be left unsupervised with a dog, she says.
Just as some parents are obliged to take parenting classes, she would like to see equivalent mandatory classes for expectant dog owners to teach them about the responsibilities of dog ownership.
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What the law says - Dangerous dogs
Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 prohibits four types of dog:
Pit Bull Terrier
Japanese tosa
Dogo Argentino
Fila Brasileiro
It is an offence to own or keep any of the above types of dog, unless it is on the Index of Exempted Dogs and is in compliance with the requirements.
In any event it is an offence to breed from, sell or exchange (even as a gift) such a dog, irrespective of whether it has been placed on the Index of Exempted Dogs.
The 1991 Act was amended by the Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997. This removed the mandatory destruction order provisions of the 1991 Act by giving the courts discretion on sentencing, and re-opened the Index of Exempted Dogs for those prohibited dogs which the courts consider would not pose a risk to the public.
Only courts can direct that a dog can be placed on the list of exempted dogs.
Tough treatment
Animal behaviourist Dr Roger Mugford specialises in the treatment of behaviour problems in pets. He believes that the current law doesn't help public safety and that the rules on dangerous dogs should be extended to private places as well as public places, as most dog attacks occur in the home with people the dog knows.
Dr Mumford says that dogs that have attacked people must not be killed immediately. Dogs are the evidence and need to be examined and observed to understand how the attack has occurred.
He insists that the answer is education about handling dangerous dogs and for people to use their common sense.
Any type of dog or cat should not be left with babies and children without adult supervision.
People should stop keeping dogs as weapons and should show them love and care. Dogs can be far more dangerous than guns if treated in the wrong way.
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He is your friend,your partner, your defender,Your Dog! You are his life,his love,his leader! He will be yours,faithful and true to the last beat of his heart! You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion!
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD BUT IT SURE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG!
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K9
Chris
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I agree with every word Dr Mugford says, how can the dogs be held responsible for an attack on a human, when WE are the ones who train the dogs? WE expect the dogs to live by human standards, yet our standards are not dog standards. They do what they do out of need, it is US that do what WE do out of greed and ignorance, NOT the dogs, so why should they be the ones to pay?
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Paul Russell
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He is your friend,your partner, your defender,Your Dog! You are his life,his love,his leader! He will be yours,faithful and true to the last beat of his heart! You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion!
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD BUT IT SURE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG!
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mikka
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PR Adviser and Donation Manager
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this is in cassie's memory a innocent in the dog amnesty
We all have our own favourite breed of dog, however, my soft spot was reserved for Bull breeds. I know each breed has their own quirks, and that's what makes them special to each of us, but for me, there's no smile like a staffie smile. My wife and I didn't have pets, just two children, but when I heard about a litter of pups that were being homed, I managed to convince my wife to let us go and see them, not to take one home obviously as she was adamant that we weren't going to have a dog, but we could just go and see them. However, changes were afoot, and by the time we arrived to see the pups she had gone from the adamant "no" to a "maybe we can get a girl?" When we walked in, we only had eyes for one tiny pup, which nestled in the palm of my hand. It was love at first sight, and it was obvious that Cassie would be coming with us to share our home and be part of our family.We brought Cassie home on 15th May 2005 and she became my dog. That evening she slept on my chest and for the rest of her life Cassie would creep towards you to sneak on your lap put her * Arms * around you to give you a kiss. She loved nothing more than being with us and we loved having her here. We took her to the vets and she had all her vaccinations and was chipped. That’s what responsible owners do. Cassie was easy to train. She adored us and if it made us happy she would have climbed mountains so toilet training was easy. Cassie used to love eating ice cubes and to watch her chasing after bits she had dropped had us in tears of laughter. I’m sure she did it more because she saw it made us laugh. We took her on caravan holidays with us, which she loved as everyone was around all day. It was her idea of heaven, her and her family.
If you had had a bad day at work, Cassie made you smile when you came home. When we woke up she said “good morning” with a wagging tail and a kiss. She loved our children and seemed to know they were “little people” and was so gentle around them. Our son would sit crossed legged on the floor and Cassie would creep up and push her head through his arm before creeping a bit further to sleep with her head on his lap. They would spend hours just sat there: One boy and his dog. Cassie used to come to work with me every day until one day; Cassie was stolen from my van. We were distraught. We searched everywhere, called everyone but no one had found her. We filed reports with the police and contacted , an organisation that help people find their missing pets. The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months. It was awful; we didn’t know where she was, whether she was ok or even if she was still alive. When you're missing your dog you think you see them around every corner, everyone else has a dog just like yours only when you look closer, its not your dog and your heart breaks a bit more. I can’t describe how raw that feels.
At the end of September, three months after Cassie was stolen we had a call from a nearby dog warden. They said they had our dog. After thinking so many dogs could be our dog I was sure this was another mistake but then they said, “we have scanned her. She’s chipped to you!” They told me I would need to pick her up from a nearby rescue that take the strays and would need to pay a fine. I yelled down the phone “I don’t care how much, I'll pay it, I'm on my way!” The traffic was horrendous but I made it in less than an hour. I paid the money and there was my girl, my Cassie! She remembered me and ran towards me to give me her famous kiss and cuddle like she had never been away. I took her out to the van and as soon as she saw it she got in and wet herself. For two weeks afterwards the van upset her…it was where she had been stolen. We have no idea what happened to her while she was missing but it clearly upset her. She had been too young to be neutered before she was stolen but three days after we got her back she was spayed. We never wanted to breed her anyway she was a pet dog and that’s what responsible owners do.
For the next year and a half we were a family again. Husband and wife, one son one daughter and Cassie. We were just like you, a normal family with a dog enjoying life. The kids only worried about what to watch on the T.V while we worried about all the things parents worry about. I worked hard to provide for my family and life was good. Cassie didn’t seem to worry about anything; she thought life was just perfect.
Then our world turned upside down. On 6-2-07 i heard via the local media that Merseyside police were to hold a seven day amnesty for people to hand in so called “dangerous dogs”. They mentioned many different breeds as common names for “pit bull types” which seemed to cover every bull breed and many crosses. The report said you had to call the police for information. I couldn’t believe what I had heard. I was sure they had it wrong. My dog was most defiantly not a “dangerous dog” She was Cassie, a soppy friendly dog who loved nothing more than a cuddle! I was sure this was wrong but called the police. That’s what you do isn’t it? You are responsible law abiding people and you call when the police tell you to. I just wanted information.
I rang the number given and was told that there were exemptions if my dog was micro chipped, spayed and tattooed but that they would take my name & number and someone would get in touch with me to assess Cassie. I assumed they meant they would come and see she was friendly and well trained and everything would be ok. She was chipped and spayed so I didn’t worry. 24 hours passed by and I had a phone call from someone at police headquarters saying that an officer would have to come and assess Cassie. I asked what they do during the assessment; I was curious and wasn’t worried anymore. They would see she wasn’t dangerous so I had nothing to worry about. They told me they would look at her to see if they thought she looked like a pit bull type according to a set of vague guidelines. If they thought she did then they would take her away.
I reeled. This wasn’t what I had thought happened. How could they take her away? She was my dog; surely they couldn’t just take my dog? They told me if I refused to sign her over to be killed they would seize her and put her in kennels while they took me to court. It didn’t matter whether Cassie was a fantastic family dog who had never hurt anyone. If she looked * wrong * and I didn’t sign her over for them to kill her, then they would take her from me. Still unable to comprehend how this was possible I said, “you are welcome to look but you will not be taking my dog” I told this person that I was going to a family party that evening so they would have to come on Friday. He said he couldn't say when would be there but someone would ring me.
Whilst I was at the family meal a police dog section van turned up at my address with another unmarked white van. An officer from the dog section then phoned me on my mobile saying he was outside my house to assess Cassie. I told him that I was at a family party and that he would have to come back at another time. He then proceeded to tell me that he intended to seize my dog. They hadn’t even seen my dog! How could they deem her to be anything without seeing her? She wasn’t dangerous! I couldn’t understand what was happening, it was like a bad dream this couldn’t really be happening. I told him again, that he would not take my dog at anytime and he said he would be back the next day and Cassie "would be gone".
Overnight my wife and I discussed the situation. We both felt that we could not bear her being taken by the police. We had lost her once and we couldn’t do it again. The thought of her alone in kennels, us not knowing what was happening to her, her thinking we had abandoned her, just broke our hearts. The threat of a possible jail sentence taking me from my family, stopping me being able to provide for them, be there for them. Fines, criminal records. We are normal people with a pet dog but the way we understood it we didn’t have any choice.
We decided to put Cassie to sleep on our terms with the people who loved her. On Friday 9th February 2007 i took my much-loved Cassie to the vets and we let her go to sleep without knowing any more fear. Cassie died in my arms…. the same arms that cuddled her on my chest when she was a baby, the same arms that held her when we were reunited, the same arms that hugged her when she crept up to give out her kisses. . The tears rolled down every ones faces from the vet, nurse, my wife and myself.
Cassie was gone.
I picked her up, holding her for the last time we stayed with her lifeless body for about twenty minutes afterwards before returning home. We took Cassie’s Death Certificate to our local police station to tell them not to attend my home that evening and went home to grieve. They had the nerve to ring me Sunday morning to see if they could come and have a look at Cassie. I couldn’t believe they had paid so little attention to Cassie’s death. I yelled down the phone “don't you talk to each other” They asked us to come down again and show us the paperwork. By now there was nothing left in me to fight. Cassie had gone; I just wanted them to leave us alone. My wife took the paperwork down and we haven’t heard from them again.
Our children don’t understand. They are 5 and 7. It’s hard enough at that age explaining why anything dies but to try and tell a child the law discriminates against a look? They don’t understand and to be honest, I don’t think I do either. I know what the law says now, I’ve spoken to those at Deed Not Breed but it doesn’t make sense. Not to any logical minded person. Deed Not Breed tell me that the register of exempt dogs can only be added to by a court. There isn’t any option for your dog to stay with you while waiting for court and you cant register your dog yourself. I don’t understand why. I don’t understand why this law exists at all. Cassie had never hurt anyone and had never shown any aggression. The Kennel Club had suggested that instead of following a law which is thought to be one of the worst pieces of canine legislation, that Merseyside police allowed owners to register their dogs while keeping them at home. This may have saved our Cassie. I’ve cried more tears then I ever thought possible. I cry for Cassie, for us, for everyone hiding their dogs in fear, for the dogs already seized and waiting and for those already killed under this “amnesty”.
I can’t change what has happened. But I can fight to make sure that Cassie is remembered and try and show why the law MUST be changed. Dogs are not born dangerous; they are a product of what you teach them and how you treat them. We taught Cassie what it is to be loved and she taught us that dogs could love you back. It is the owners who should be targeted not a dog based solely on its appearance and we need legislation that reflects that.
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« Last Edit: November 15, 2007, 10:50:59 PM by mikka »
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Staffordshire bull terriers - A fantastic but sometimes misunderstood breed
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K9
Chris
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Breed specific legislation targets the wrong end of the lead
It really is time to punish the owners and the deed not the breed
A honda kills a child , a drunk behind the wheel
Would they ban all hondas? Would that really be the deal?
The driver should be punished for human error and breaking the law
So why cannot people see , the same applies to dogs and maybe even more?
A well socialized and happy dog well trained shown kindness and love
Will be mans best friend companion and gentle as a dove
Attacks of all kinds happen , a teenager high on drugs takes a life
He was 5ft 10 black hair around 17 , stocky and carried a large knife
Would we round up all teens matching that description give them all strife
Place restraining orders on them all , tag them or lock them up for life?
There would be public outcry , we would not stand for that would we ?
Lumping them all together would be so very wrong so sadly why cant you see
Just because one dog attacks does not mean the whole breed is bad
We need to look further rationally not hysterically thats just mad
A few irresponsible owners that cannot train or control their dog
Gives a select group of people the power to play god ?
Murders stabbing accidents happen every single day
Through misuse of weapons and who is asked to pay ?
A gun that shot someone on trial , a car that killed a passer by
You maybe think that irrational but then ask your self why
Dogs owners are by law supposed to be in control of their pet
But when accident happen and someone is hurt , who is taken to the vet?
WE do not need mass hysteria , surrounding ANY specific breed
It is time to take a good hard look and just punish the deed
The owners must be made to pay for the mistakes that they make
A whole breed should not have to pay that price for goodness sake
Theres far too much talk of vicious killer dogs of a certain type
One is labelled bad so the whole breed is prone to media hype ?
What about all the lovely happy dogs that live among us all
Not a bad bone in their body , but perhaps they are too tall?
So far only 4 types of dogs are banned in the UK
But how can you be sure your chosen breed will be ok?
If they ban Rotties German Shepherds or any other larger breed
Will that be the next sensational story that the papers need ?
Your cute wee Yorkie bites the postie another outcry
Will all yorkies then be the next breed condemed to die?
If action is not taken all our dogs will disappear
And why should all of us be living in fear ?
We train our dogs and we keep them under our strict controls
Why should we suffer for a few irresponsible souls?
The young men who want a type of dog to make them look hard?
They wont worry with what brush that breed is tarred
Education is the key , training and socializing every single day
Can help to keep our beloved dogs safe it has to be the way
To prove not all dogs are bad its the owner that are in the wrong
We have to build a case iron clad and very very strong
How many so called devil dogs visit hospitals around the land
Reaching out to ill people and giving them a helping hand ?
Thousands of dogs helping the blind and the sick doing a great job
But the dog that makes the papers is the one ruined by a yob ?
We can make a difference by being in full control
Never letting our dogs accidentally frighten a single soul
Not everyone loves dogs some people really live in fear
It's our responsibility to show why we hold them so dear
Training can be hard work one step forward three steps back
But it is so important if this prejadice we are to crack
Each and every one of us has a responsibility to care
And to help none doggy people become increasingly aware
That owners are responsible for the actions of their dog
So no more people get the chance to play god
A few years down the line how many breeds wiped out?
Because of ignorance ? It has to be time to shout
We have to act we cant ignore the hysteria and hype
We need to write letters by hand or even type
We have to be the voice our dogs do not own
The time has gone just to sit at home and moan
We must be polite and positive , but really make it known
All breeds can be well trained and such a joy to own
Punish the deed not the breed with that we all agree
But remember at the end of the day the onus lies with me
As an owner we will take the plunge and be the best we can
So none of our dogs ever get the chance to frighten even one woman
We train them and we show them in the best possible light
We owe it to them to show they do not instill fright
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He is your friend,your partner, your defender,Your Dog! You are his life,his love,his leader! He will be yours,faithful and true to the last beat of his heart! You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion!
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD BUT IT SURE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG!
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K9
Chris
Owner
Hero Member
Posts: 7187
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Court spares the life of grandma’s dog:
Essex dog owner Sylvia Ridgewell broke down and was unable to stand following a hearing before Basildon Magistrates Court who decided to order her pet dog, Bob, be registered and exempted as an alternative to destruction; ending an agonising eighty one days of anxiety not knowing whether Bob, seized and held under the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) would be allowed to come home.
Events began on May 11th when Bob, a one year old cherished pet became lost after becoming spooked whilst out for a walk in local fields. Owners, Sylvia Ridgewell, aged 71yrs and her 25 year old grandson Kevin, began a frantic search to find him. With the help of friends and neighbours they looked through the night with torches and pensioner Sylvia called his name from her garden just in case he could hear her, until morning light.
Unknown to the neighbourhood search team, a few roads away a police car had stopped a suspected drunk driver, the Police officer had left his car door open and Bob had jumped into the car and planted himself on the rear seat. He was taken to one police station, then on to another and eventually made his way to the stray dog pound. The following morning, the Ridgewell family were ecstatic to hear that their Bob was alive and well, they raced to the kennels to collect Bob, but tears of joy soon disappeared as someone had identified him as a suspected unlawful pit bull type.
The local police hadn’t experience with this type of situation and so the confusion began, no one seemed to know the law or how to proceed, the police didn’t want to issue criminal proceedings, Bob was held at the kennels and days and then weeks soon passed with little progress or information, Bob was seized and unable to be returned. Sylvia thought he would have to die and cried herself to sleep each night, the doctor was called out as her health began to deteriorate under the enormous strain of losing her companion, grandson Kevin went back and forth to the police station desperately trying to find out what to do next to save Bob. They then contacted the Endangered Dogs Defence & Rescue (EDDR) who were able to advise and drive the case forward.
Bob had come into the life of the Ridgewell family as a puppy, he was chosen as the only one in the litter who had a cute pink coloured nose. Following the tragic death of their eighteen year old grandson the family were advised to get a dog. Sylvia’s husband, a double amputee, had a close connection with Bob prior to sadly passing away in December 2007. Bob had become the rock in the family and is very special to grandma Syliva who wrote a moving two page statement explaining to the Court how important Bob is to both her and her grandson, pleading to the court to allow Bob to live as she could not bear to go on without him, she poured her heart out onto paper as in her words- life without him was lonely.
A court summons was received and so began the build up to the legal hearing; sleepless nights, sickness, doubts, panic, anxiety attacks, the two suffered and struggled with every day but Sylvia hung on to that one hope that if she could get to court, they might understand, they might let her dog live. Neighbours rallied behind Bob and began writing notes and posting them through the front door to support Sylvia. Arriving in Court for a 10am hearing, the Ridgewells and Amanda Dunckley from EDDR were able to sit with the Essex police force solicitor prior to the hearing. The solicitor had never encountered a DDA case and took notes on how a 4b application and the critical registration process should proceed; she was then able to explain this process to the court.
There was a two hour wait for court time, the owners hadn’t been in a court before, Sylvia Ridgewell had difficulty breathing and had to go outside for air, all eventually convened in Court 1. Sylvia slowly walked in, visibly shaken and gasping on an inhaler to help open her airways as she sat next to her grandson clutching their photos and statements in support of Bob. The police solicitor opened up the case before three lay magistrates and explained how Bob was currently in a “police cell” as it were and that they had to make an application for his destruction under 4b of the Act, but emphasised they did not want him destroyed. The Police expert had examined Bob on the 12th of May and found him easy to handle describing him as “playful and placid”.
The Magistrates commented that they ‘read the papers’ and asked if the owners ‘fully understood what is being taken on’. They also queried how they could be expected to determine that a dog is not a danger to the public if they hadn’t themselves seen the dog in question and asked if the police had checked the owner’s garden to ensure that it is securely enclosed, to which owner Kevin was able to reply that the fencing was 7ft in height. A folder containing photographs of Bob and the owner’s garden along with a stack of statements was passed to the bench; neighbours and local children had sent in letters and drawings in defence of Bob, one was headed ‘please set Bob free’ by an 11 year old, another, written by a 7 year old said “Bob was a good boy he but didn’t think he was a dog as he eats grass and drinks milk”. There was silence as the magistrates read through the statements and Kevin held his gran’s hand.
The kennels where Bob is detained also sent in a statement for the Court, stating “we have found Bobby to be well behaved and he has shown no aggression towards staff or towards any other dogs. We believe that this is due to the loving home and the responsible owner. Therefore we would recommend that he is placed on the dog register”. Bob had spent time with another dog to help keep him company in kennels.
Kevin was asked to comment and overcome with emotion said “we love him and will do anything to get him back” at which point Sylvia burst into tears and was passed a glass of water and patted on the shoulder by the court usher, she was unable to drink as her hands trembled passing on another photo of her Bob and quietly choking back the tears to say “we love him, he’s all I got”.
Lay Magistrate Mr Payne said “we have no problems” and was satisfied that Bob would not constitute a danger to public safely and ordered he be registered within eight weeks, men and women in the public gallery, sitting in from another case, looked shocked as Sylvia was unable to stand until it was confirmed that Bob ‘was coming home’, she burst into tears again asking: “Is he really coming back?”
Sylvia has put aside her life savings to make sure Bob can be registered and brought home. EDDR has provided the registration and insurance fees. The doctor has been back out to visit Sylvia and has advised rest now that the court hearing is over. Bob is now coming home once neutering, tattooing and the other requirements of registration have been financed and fulfilled.
All this has been due to a law, which states Bob is dangerous despite the fundamental truth that he has never shown any aggression to man or beast.
For further information please contact:
Endangered Dogs Defence & Rescue
Email: office@endangereddogs.com
Tel: 0870 77 78 925
The Endangered Dogs Defence & Rescue (EDDR) is a voluntary run organisation which offers free information, education and advice to help, defend and better protect all dogs in need. We promote responsible dog ownership. EDDR campaigns, raises awareness and offers support on canine welfare issues. We give advice concerning dog related legal matters and legislation
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He is your friend,your partner, your defender,Your Dog! You are his life,his love,his leader! He will be yours,faithful and true to the last beat of his heart! You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion!
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD BUT IT SURE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG!
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