Hundreds of ‘danger’ dogs put down needlessly because of the ‘way they look’, claims RSPCA
Animal charity calls for 'ineffective' Dangerous Dogs Act to be revised by focusing on irresponsible owners - not dog breeds
HUNDREDS of dogs have been put down needlessly because the Dangerous Dogs Act targets animals for “the way they look”, according to the RSPCA.
The animal charity warned the current “flawed” legislation hasn’t even protected the public, by claiming there are more dog attacks than ever.
And bosses called on the government to overhaul the law, which was introduced 25 years ago, by focusing on irresponsible dog owners instead of banning particular breeds.
The act has outlawed four types of dogs in Britain - the Pitbull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Fila Brasileiro, and the Dogo Argentino.
Crossbreeds with Pitbull-type features are also illegal.
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But RSPCA officials say of the 30 people killed by dogs since 1991, 21 of those were attacked by legal breeds.
The charity has published a new report, called Breed Specific Legislation: A Dog’s Dinner, which concludes the law has had “unintended negative consequences for dog welfare”.
It wants the government to provide more resources to tackle owners who allow their dogs to be dangerously out of control - whatever type of dog they have.
Dr Samantha Gaines, of the RSPCA, said: “The police, the RSPCA… have to deal with the consequences of this flawed law by euthanizing hundreds of dogs because legislation is forcing us to, due to the way they look, despite being suitable for rehoming.”
Staff have been forced to put down 336 dogs who have fallen foul of the law over the past two years, she said.
While Battersea Dogs’ Home - which is also critical of the act - has put down 91 dogs in the past 12 months.
