Police To Get £20,000 Each From DEFRA to Tackle Dangerous Dogs
Specialist training for police to tackle dangerous dogs Police officers will receive specialist training to become designated Dog Legislation Officers who will provide expert advice on dangerous dogs cases and legislation, Animal Welfare Minister Jim Fitzpatrick announced today.
The Association of Chief of Police Officers (ACPO) will receive £20,000 from Defra to help deliver the training which will ensure officers have a thorough understanding of current dangerous dogs legislation, as well as best practice enforcement techniques.
Guidance for enforcers, published in April, recommended that it was good practice for every police force to have, or have access to, a designated Dog Legislation Officer (DLO) who had a good knowledge of the law and how it could be best used to protect public safety.
Mr Fitzpatrick said: “I am determined to crack down on irresponsible dog ownership and ensure that those who use dogs to injure people are dealt with rigorously. I know that this training will get us one step closer to better enforcement of dangerous dogs laws.
“When we undertook a significant review of dangerous dogs legislation with the police in 2007 it was clear that, while the legislation was sound, more needed to be done to raise awareness of the law and improve enforcement.”
Defra recently commissioned new research into dog aggression against humans. The project will last for 15 months and will entail an analytical study into the risk factors associated with past aggressive dog behaviour towards people.
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Pay them £20,000 or £200,000 each – training to enforce a fundamentally bad law is throwing more good money after bad. Do we need to be another £100m down the line before we realise that our dangerous dogs laws are fundamentally broken?
Ask yourselves this. Why, whenever the media want a debate about the problems of dangerous dogs and the complete LACK of any success of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, does NOBODY come forward from the powers-that-be to actually defend the effectiveness of this law?
Are we now to assume that the lack of success, all these years, has been down to a lack of training and funding of officers?
Really? That’s what we’re expected to believe?
Pull the other one, it’s got a dog attached to it. I think it might be a Pit Bull, but I couldn’t be sure (send me a cheque for £20k though and I might be able to identify it a bit better)
Highly Recommended: What dog owner wouldn’t want a piece of THIS action? – Get FREE dog food!
Related posts:
- Police: ‘We Don’t Need New Dangerous Dogs Laws’
- DEFRA: Why Are You So Ashamed of The Dangerous Dogs Act?
- New Crackdown On ‘Dangerous Dogs’ Planned – Does DEFRA Have a Clue What it is Doing?
- Merseyside Police Spend Nearly £1m of Tax Payer’s Money on ‘Dangerous Dog’ Campaign
- Merseyside Police ‘Dangerous’ Dogs Amnesty Claims 86
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“Sound Legislation”
what a bunch of clowns
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I really can’t believe this is still happening. How many more dogs are going to be killed and families torn apart by this ridiculous and cruel law. I was under the impression that Politian’s worked for the public and not the other way round? Do they not see the world wide disgust in BSL from the case of Bruce?
There needs to be a way for the people to make their point to the government, that we’re not going to stand for this one minute longer. They will only listen if the voice is loud enough and made by a combined force instead of individuals.
No more innocent dogs need to die. END BSL NOW!!!!!
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As far as I am concerned there are no dangerous dogs only dangerous people that make dogs dangerous by the way they treat them and bring them up. Dogs arn’t born dangerous but in the wrong hands dreadull things can happen. Shame it’s the poor animal that always suffers for human treachery. Tighter laws are needed for people owning a dog I think the licence should be brought back £50 for ordinary dogs and £100 for what are called (Dangerous dogs) also heavy fines for anyone caught without a licence like drivers. It should also be a condition on buying a dog it is either neutered or speyed and this should be checked on in 6 months time to see if it has been done and again heavy fines if not. Puppy farms should all be closed and also a lot of breeders as some of them are not at all good. If we had tighter laws there would not be the amount of strays we have.
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Leigh Reply:
August 3rd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I’m confused by your statement that there are no dangerous breeds yet you want the license fee to be double for the dogs known as (Dangerous dogs)? The Dog Owner Suitability Test is the way to go as it covers the points you are making but also doesn’t discriminate against breeds. As we all know people are the problem and we all should be made to take responsibility for our and our dogs actions.
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Sonja Talboys-Allen Reply:
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Didn’t explain that very well. What I meant was the kind of dogs that are classed as a dangerous dog are the type of dogs that at lot of yobo’s have as a status thing and also others have them for breeding or fighting and if they had to pay £100 for a licence for each dog they had maybe it would put them off having one. It is such a shame as most of these dogs are all nice dogs and because of all the bad press they get some people are abandoning them and the sanctuarys are bursting it’s such a shame. Yes dog owner suitability is a good idea but I still think that the dog licence should be brought back with maybe concessions for pensioners. I have 6 dogs and would willingly go without something to pay for their licence.
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Leigh Reply:
August 7th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
When it comes to dog related problems nothing will ever get any better until we realise it’s an owner problem and not a dog one. Saying that owners of certain breeds have to pay more or be treated differently in any form is unjust. I myself own two Staffords, I’m a responsible owner, I clean up after my dogs, they are well trained, socialised and exercised. Why should I be treated differently because of the way my dogs look or what breed they are when it’s the owner that’s always at fault? If my dogs were ever to cause a problem I would gladly take responsibility for their actions as I’m responsible for them, just as I’m responsible for my childrens actions. It’s always the owners fault, whether it’s due to lack of understand about a dogs needs, training/socialisation, neglect etc. If the dog is aggressive due to very poor breeding the owner is still responsible to keep the animal under control at all times and to take the relevant procautions. Note: the breeder should also be dealt with if it’s proven to be due to poor breeding stock.
Treat all dogs and owners the same and only punish owners of dogs that cause problems!!
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Sonja Talboys-Allen Reply:
August 7th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Yes I agree with you but I am wondering what can be done to stop these yobo’s having these staffie’s as a status thing. Where I lived before I came her there were a lot of youths with these dogs just aimlessly wandering around the shopping centre. I felt so sorry for the dog’s they looked so fed up. I also have seen some with bitches which had obviously had pups and this worries me. I did ask around about where these youths came from and was told it was a bad area so what kind of a life do these dogs have. I get loads of emails from an animal charity trying to rehome unwanted staffies and staffie crosses it is such a shame as they are lovely dogs. A friend of mine took two unwanted ones and she is thrilled to bits with them. Like you I am very responsible dog owner and wish everyone who has a dog would be the same. I am very heavily involved with animal cruelty in general and a lot of the human race treat animals dreadfully and then the animal especially dogs get the blame when they bite someone.
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Animal welfare minister???
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Is that 20,000 to train one police officer to be a dog law officer or 20,000 from defra to acpo for all training?
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