Is Former Home Secretary Biggest Threat To Public Safety In Dangerous Dogs Debate?
Lord Baker, the former Home Secretary who introduced the widely criticised Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 legislation has told the BBC that he believes “certain dogs are dangerous by nature”. Coming from a man that refers incorrectly to German Shepherd dogs as Alsatians, this will be a hard pill to swallow for the many who have been campaigning for tougher restrictions on dog ownership, rather than a blanket ban on dogs of a certain breed or type.
Lord Baker made the claim during an interview with BBC Radio Five Live, where he condemned the giving of anti-social behaviour orders to irresponsible dog owners, complaining that it was a “ridiculous” move, whilst reinforcing his view that some dogs are simply dangerous.
Despite multitudes of behavioural experts and trainers stating to the contrary on numerous occasions, Baker is sticking to his assertion. An assertion which is apparently shared by Dublin city councillors, who are currently banning the ownership of eleven breeds of dog, of which there is no evidence to suggest that if properly trained, are any more dangerous than any other breed.
Baker’s remarks have drawn criticism from many involved in the welfare of dogs, including Caroline Kisko of the Kennel Club, who told the BBC that the peer’s remarks were “inaccurate”.
It seems that Lord Baker is opposed to putting the responsibility on the shoulders of the dog owners and would prefer that certain breeds of dog are banned outright. He told the BBC that the Kennel Club were “watering down the law” by placing blame on dog owners rather than dogs.
He continued “The (Dangerous Dogs) act should now be fully implemented to ensure we are safe from pit bull terriers and pit bull terrier types – these dogs that are bred to kill.”
Lord Baker recently stated that he would also “like to see Alsatians and Rottweilers muzzled in public.” Despite their being no such breed as an Alsatian, Lord Baker is insistent that they are dangerous. German Shepherd Dogs, which are sometimes incorrectly referred to as ‘Alsatians’ are commonly used by the police and security forces.
Are Kenneth Baker’s remarks likely to damage the hard work done in fighting the dangerous dogs problem? Or is he right, are some dogs simply bred to be dangerous?
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I believe the number one reason (and there are more) for the proliferation of incompetent and even criminal dog owners, is the failure by authorities everywhere to enforce the laws as they stand. The ‘pit bulls’, Rottweilers, German Shepherd dogs, Chows or any of the other breeds and shapes targeted by the ignorant for discrimination, are not the root of the problem.
It is an issue which, in spite of being shamelessly overblown by a ratings-hungry media, still deserves the attention of people who are capable of looking at it objectively and coming up with solutions which are fair, effective and fiscally responsible.
Breed specific legislation (BSL) is not breed discrimination. It is dog owner discrimination. It is the assumption that should we humans choose to own specified breeds, that we are irresponsible, negligent, and uninsurable. This discrimination is not aimed at dogs, but rather at people who own the dogs. It is unjust, unacceptable and morally wrong. Discrimination in any form is not to be tolerated.
The railroading of citizens because of the shape of their dog is far from amusing. It creates profound emotional distress and distrust of government in the persecuted. It promotes vigilantism, mob mentality and a lack of respect for living things. It also leads to expensive lawsuits launched by those who value equal application of the law and as studies have shown, results in zero reduction in dog bites and maulings and exposes ill-informed officials to the public eye. The answer lays in education, not more unfair, unenforceable legislation. All we ask is equal protection, equal treatment under the law.
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yes hes right i am mauled to death daily by my 10 american bulldogs and 1 dogue!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what an idiot. this smacks of a money and rescources saving excersise to me. too much hard work to catch the criminals. much easier to condem a dog with a big skull. what an idiot. were on earth is he getting his information from?
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He needs to actually do some research!!! If he read reliable information, based on facts NOT fiction, maybe he would change his mind. I do not believe that ANY breed of dog is dangerous ( yes, I have a pitbull who is neutered, microchipped, liscensed and trained. I also have a sheppard mix, a kitten and 2 young children and my boyfriend has 3 older children, and they ALL get along…….why should my dog and myself be punished for criminal actions that others have committed? I am currently training to become a dog trainer and work for a friend who has a dog kennel. I have been brought up with dogs my entire life and the only one that had to be put down for being aggressive was a BEAGLE!! Yes, a small beagle, tried to attack my 6 month old son and if she had succeeded would have gotten him right in the face…but since I am a RESPONSIBLE dog owner, they were not left alone. According to him I should not be able to own either of my dogs????? How is that fair? When we have done EVERYTHING a responsible dog owner should? What he needs to realize is that a dog is a dog, does not matter what breed it is. The problem is dog bites, so instead of wasting all kinds of money to ban or put in breed specific legislation, make harsher penalties for people who are training these dogs to be aggessive, EDUCATE people on dogs, not just pits, rotties, sheppards, etc, ALL DOGS!!!!! It’s very frusterating for me to read these articles written by UNEDUCATED people because I know that other UNEDUCATED people will read it and believe everything that he says!!!!Leave us and our dogs alone. Punish the deed, not the breed!!!!!
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Facts are fruitless,people like Baker are not going to retract,if they did they would be standing up and saying” I SCREWED UP” to find such a politician especially in Gordon Brown’s camp,I reckon much easier locating next week’s E.U. Lottery numbers.
Unfortunately these Family Pet Murderers have the Media in their pocket,we the Decent Human Beings are restricted to writing on Blogs.
Maybe the answer is to start our own Political Party and make sure Labour is knocked out once and for all.
smarock10@yahoo.com
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