if every single dog owner had to prove they were responsible and could control a dog to get a licensce, regardless of what breed they wanted, it would be a step in the right direction!

you want to hear a more constructive idea, well here’s mine.

obivously for all dog owners to prove they are responsible before the can have a dog.

2.Any person who owns a dog(s) must get a licence for each dog, pay all costs of the licence and keep that licence up to date.
The cost of a standard licence be about £150 per dog. A dog is required to get a licence when it reaches 5 months of age.

(a) A discount of 15% if the dog is neutered/ spayed or has passed any kennel club k9 good citizen test.

(b) A discount of 25% if the dog has passed a bronze kennel club k9 good citizen test and is neutered/ spayed

(c) A discount of 50% if the dog has passed a silver kennel club k9 good citizen test and is neutered/ spayed

(d) A discount of 75% if the dog has passed a gold kennel club k9 good citizen test and is neutered/ spayed

3. no one below 18 can own, breed or sell dogs

4. if someone, uses a dog as a weapon, they should get 15 years to life in prison just as if they had used a gun or a knife!

5. all dogs to be micro chipped so owners can be located if somethings happens

6. complusory neutering for any dog that shows unprovaked aggression to prevent it from ever being bred. as well as complsory muzzleing and leashing for those dogs when in public, before it injurges someone

7. if anyone, takes an aggressive dog and lets it off lead in public, they should be charged with endangering the public.

8. if they can prove their dog is not or is no longer a danger to the public ( say if the took the dog to a trainer and rehabiliated it) then, they could have the muzzle and leash order removed.

this is what a think a dangerous dogs act should be including.

Irresponsible dog ownership anywhere should be dealt with firmly, you are apparently lucky as in London the Mayor Ken Livingstone has backed a campaign that will deal with legal dogs such as Rottweilers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Bull Mastiffs being owned or kept by ‘hoodies’. All that will happen is that the dogs used by the ‘hoodies’ will be changed to different breeds, once all the breeds have been used up by the ‘hoodies’ there will be no dogs left to ban or imnpose restrictions on. You also live in the council area that boasts that it has one of the largest dog warden teams in the UK, 6 full time and 6 part time dog wardens should be able to promote responsible dog ownership between them in one London borough?

I take my very small child to the park and on the streets – properly supervised, mind – in his stroller. On the way, we often run into staffies (and allied breeds) in the company of clearly irresponsible owners. They are often on crowded pavements with no lead. If the dog got into its head to go after my child (as has been known to happen) there’s little I could do and little an inexperienced, irresponsible owner could do.

I’ve seen these dogs be brutalised. I’ve seen the damage to trees in public parks where the dogs have been trained to be vicious. Incidents of dog bites requiring treatment has more than doubled in London over the last four years and the most likely victims are children under the age of 9.

If you want to defend these animals it’s time for responsible owners to work with authorities to help find a solution to a growing problem. If it’s irresponsible owners who are the problem, then licensing seems the right solution. But if you have a more constructive idea, let’s hear it – not just picking holes in an attempt to deal with a serious problem.