The Home Secretary has joined requires a fifth canine breed to be banned within the UK, after a devastating assault on an 11-year-old lady.
The Birmingham lady was attacked by an American XL Bully on Saturday (9 September), whereas two males who tried to assist her have been additionally injured. American bullies – a fairly new breed with pit bull ancestry – have been linked to a lot of recent bites and assaults.
In 2021, two of the 4 deadly canine assaults within the UK concerned an American bully, whereas in 2022, they have been concerned in six out of 10 deadly canine assaults.
Now MPs, together with Suella Braverman, are trying into whether or not the breed could be banned, however animal charities and knowledgeable organisations argue banning particular breeds has not labored thus far – and that the federal government ought to think about a unique method.
But which different canine breeds have been banned within the UK, and why? Here’s all the pieces you want to know.
Which canine breeds are already banned within the UK?
According to the UK government, there are 4 canine breeds banned within the UK.
These embrace the pit bull terrier, the Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro. The Tosa and Dogo Argentino have been initially bred as preventing dogs, with the Japanese Tosa nonetheless utilized in authorized canine fights of their home nation of Japan right now.
The pit bull, a time period used within the UK to seek advice from the American pit bull terrier, was additionally developed within the US for blood sports activities, and descended from breeds developed for bull-baiting and canine preventing. Some advocates for the breed declare pit bulls are so light they have been as soon as known as “nanny dogs”, though that is fiercely disputed.
The Fila Brasileiro was initially a working mastiff breed, with its identify that means to carry, arrest, or seize. The breed was lengthy used on plantations to chase down runaway slaves and return them to their homeowners, when slavery was nonetheless authorized in Brazil. Being bred for this objective has result in them being thought of harmful in incapable palms.
It can also be unlawful to promote, abandon, give away, or breed from a banned canine within the UK.
If you might be discovered to personal a banned breed, the police or local council dog warden can take your dog away, even when it is not performing dangerously. You could be given a limiteless wonderful or be despatched to jail for as much as six months for having a banned canine, and the canine might also be destroyed.
What do specialists and animal charities take into consideration breed bans?
A spokesperson from the Dog Control Coalition, which is made up of the RSPCA, Battersea, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, BVA, Scottish SPCA, The Kennel Club and Hope Rescue, stated the latest assault was “deeply distressing”.
“We are all extremely involved concerning the rising variety of canine chunk incidents and the largest precedence of everybody concerned is to guard the general public.” However, they stated the Dangerous Dogs Act, which has centered on banning particular sorts, has been round for 32 years, and has coincided with a troubling improve in canine bites and fatalities, “which exhibits that this method merely is not working”.
“Sadly, the increased popularity of American XL bullies has made them valuable commodities, resulting in irresponsible breeding, rearing and ownership, which can all contribute to an increased likelihood of aggression in dogs, regardless of breed,” they said.
“However, the view of all leading animal charities is that the solution is not banning more types. Instead, the government needs to focus on the improvement and enforcement of current breeding and dog control regulations, and on promoting responsible dog ownership and training.”
