K9 Magazine Re-Wind: Send a Dog to Its Death in 240 Minutes
Dipping in to our (substantial) archives for a month-end, March re-wind we return to one of the most contentious stories from the DogMagazine.net blog. First published in February of last year, it seems apt to revisit this story in the wake of recently announced ‘ACPO Guidance on Dangerous Dogs’. We have to ask, will the UK ever truly embrace the concept of ‘Deed not Breed’ or are we merely going to pay lip service to the notion whilst we continue to seize and kill dogs by ‘type’? The following article received attention around the world when it was first published.
Kennel Club to train up Pit Bull Identification experts in just four hours
writes Alison Green
The Kennel Club, despite its cries of “Deed Not Breed” are planning to create a panel of “experts” trained to identify pit bull type dogs. I use the term “experts” lightly because these particular “experts” will attend a course just FOUR hours long.
The course, to be held at Battersea Dogs Home on the 18th February will run to the following agenda:
Course start 12pm with a 30-minute talk by Trevor Turner on how to identify a “pit bull type”.
Those in attendance will then spend one hour practicing their identification skills on an unknown number of dogs.
A further hour will be spent on an analysis of the findings by Trevor Turner.
Then a 30 minute break before an hour long talk from Trevor Cooper on the court proceedings for expert witness’s.
Course concludes at 4pm.
Whether there will be a “type” dog examined on the day by the trainees is unknown, if it is a registered dog it is safe, if not what will happen to this dog examined on the day?
My understanding, although as yet not confirmed, is at this stage you will receive a certificate of your “expert” status and are then able to use your new found knowledge where ever it may be needed.
I have a great respect for both Trevor Cooper and Trevor Turner. They both do fantastic work on defending cases of cross bred dogs accused of being Pit Bull types. Someone has to identify dogs under the current system we have,but is a “dangerous dogs identification day” really the role for a national pro-dog organisation to take?
What message does it send out; that on one hand it is widely accepted that you can not determine whether a dog is dangerous based on its physical appearance, but on the other hand you run a course to certify people to do just that, in your name, whilst still claiming to be “Deed Not breed”? Will we reach a position where a Kennel Club accredited “expert” gives evidence in a court of law for the prosecution of a family pet, or states a dog is “type” in a rescue or dog pound and a dog dies because it looks wrong?
I cannot understand how the Kennel club keep saying “Deed Not Breed” yet refuse to argue for an overhaul on the law due to “political climate” and are now training up “experts” in just four hours!
I have some knowledge on the law. I have seen plenty of so called “pit bull types” . Excuse me for shouting but YOU CANNOT TRAIN UP AN EXPERT IN JUST FOUR HOURS! These “experts” will be laughed out of court and dogs may die because of them.
It is thought that these experts are mainly vets and behaviourists. They will presumably, once they have their certificate, be able to go into pounds, rescues and anywhere they are asked to go and state whether, in their opinion, a dog is a pit bull type or not. I say “in their opinion” because that is all it is. An opinion based on just TWO AND A HALF HOURS hands on pit bull type identification training. On their say so a dog could live or die. That’s what it boils down to, particularly in rescues and pounds where no owner is there to fight for them. Those dogs are going to die. Just like Red.
There is the other side of it of course. A dog may be deemed “not type” by the KC experts. Only one problem with that. It will NOT make that dog safe. It it will not stop that dog being seized by someone else who believes the dog IS type. Until a dog is spared from being a pit bull type by a court of law it is not “safe”.
If it really was as easy as saying “so and so says it’s not type” we wouldn’t have any cases in court. In court we have those for the defence and those for the prosecution and it all falls on whom the judge believes. Even with the best experts with years of experience in identification and court proceedings you still lose on “type” more than you win.
The burden of proof is reversed; it’s up to you to prove your dog is not type. What of pets who are examined and found to be of “type”? What then? You cannot go and register the dog yourself to bring it within the law. What does an owner do? Dogs without owners who are then deemed to be of type will die. You cannot re home an unregistered pit bull type.
Will those owners whose dogs are seen by the so called experts, be fully aware of the extent of the training received? Will they be told that there are more experienced people out there who may have a totally different opinion? Will they seek a second opinion before a dog is killed?
The law is wrong. The Kennel Clubs “panel of experts” will not do anything to change that. What example does this set to others; how do you explain to someone that you cant judge a dog on its appearance although the Kennel Club does hold courses on it? Certifying volunteers to identify dogs as dangerous based on a measuring stick and a few ticks in the *right* boxes is, in my opinion, not promoting the good of all dogs. Law enforcement agencies have to do it, it is the law. Why are the Kennel Club doing it?
While they claim to be training for the defence, experts must remain impartial. The Kennel Club does not need to hold this course and should , if they really want to really do something to help stop whimpering “Deed not Breed” and start shouting for a complete removal of all BSL. Now. What ever the current climate. For dogs like Red.
Highly Recommended: What dog owner wouldn’t want a piece of THIS action? – Get FREE dog food!
Related posts:
- Want to Send a Dog to Its Death? Get ‘Qualified’ to do so in 240 Minutes
- Questions Unanswered in Kennel Club BSL Controversy
- 9 Months Locked up Under Dangerous Dogs Law – Now Duke, the Lurcher Cross, is Back Home
- An Open Letter to the Kennel Club: Simply Saying You are ‘Deed not Breed’ is not Enough. It’s Time to PROVE it!
- TV Programme Send in The Dogs – Should it be Send in the Men in White Coats?
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Whilst on the subject of the ACPO ‘Guidance for Enforcers’, what about the contractor Animal Wardens Limited who seems to be working for Greater Manchester Police dealing with alleged section 1 dogs?
I always thought that the people who were authorised to seize dogs under section 1 were either police officers trained on the police dog identification course that lasts a couple of weeks or authorised officers from councils.
Who trained and authorised this private company to do this work and what level of knowledge and experience do these people have if other allegations about their operating methods are anything to go by?
Also if you read the ACPO guidance, it appears that the RSPCA were involved with it’s creation I thought they were anti BSL, what is going on?
The UK government, police and certain other groups still seem hell bent on Breed Not Deed, there is no hope really, what do people have to do to get things changed?
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So according to the new guidelines on the enforcement of BSL, neutered, insured pet dog, who passes behaviourists test of some kind, gets to go to court where a order for its destruction is applied for, then hopes court orders registration instead and is lucky to be placed on the dangerous dogs register, having been reomoved from its home, on the court day until returned or killed as court states, no arguement on whether dog is a illega sort, oh no, you sign that away as owner is eager for dog not be seized and wait for months in dog death row what with two each week dying in met area better to just say yes i’ve got me an illegal boxer cross please take me 4b and spare us a criminal conviction and months of worry
well at least now the law will be working proper, all that fuss about getting it changed, should cut down the £15 a day per dog kennel fees we the public is paying, dogs just needed a few guidelines!
more dogs for the register, all running smoothly, BSL must be working eh
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I hope that no further courses of this sort where organised. So very sad to be concentrating on ‘training’ people to measure up dogs under a terribly flawed law, volunteers who are doing it for what-it’s no their job is it.
Please work to get the law changed not try help it run ‘better’.
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Amber
Sadly there is a company called Animal Wardens Limited that seems to be running its own internal ‘breed ID’ course.
Check out the 320 odd posts on here re this company, the article is the most commented one on this site.
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what will their course consist of i wonder, and who is ‘training’ animal wardens to identify pit bulls?
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Amber
The rumour is that the PBT breed ID is only part of a day or two day general internal training course. The ‘instructor’ is none other than Mr Paul Dunne.
They should concentrate on learning to recognise ordinary breeds as Animal Wardens Ltd are shockingly awful at ordinary breed ID.
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London Magistrates being given lessons to tell the difference between breeds:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23703572-details/Spot+the+difference:+magistrates+taught+about+‘weapon’+dogs/article.do
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