Dog Seized Under Dangerous Dogs Act is Returned to Joyful Owner
London dog owner Richard Webb and his family are celebrating following the return of their pet dog Gem from police custody on 7th February 2008.
Gem had been seized under the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) 1991 legislation and held as a suspected unregistered pit bull type. At a hearing on the 16th January, the Magistrates court had deemed her not to be a danger to the public and ordered she be registered and entered onto the Index of Exempted Dogs and allowed home.
Richard Webb, a 25 year old father from Camden Town, was out exercising his dogs on 29th November 2007, Gem was happily playing as usual, with his two other dogs, a Cocker Spaniel and an American Bulldog in a north London park when several Police officers walked over and questioned Richard. Gem was seized there and then; she was taken away in a police van and not seen again since her release last week.
Three months previously, Richard had heard about a dog through the Doctors Surgery where he works, a dog which was in desperate need of a home and was going to end up in a kennels or put to sleep. Being the dog lover he is, he got involved and ended up offering a home to this charming, friendly dog Gem. With some effort and patience, Gem soon settled in, she enjoyed her daily long walks where she would meet all her canine friends, she loves children, people and other dogs and was a pleasure to have in the home.
Richard Webb and family were shocked when Gem was taken and entered into a long drawn out process, first awaiting breed identification of their dog, then for a court date and finally for the verdict on the big day itself. Endangered Dogs Defence & Rescue was contacted and gave support and advice. Court proceedings commenced under section 4b of the DDA legislation, in court to support dog owner Richard was Amanda Dunckley who said:
“I arrived in court and found Richard quietly sat there looking ill and clutching an envelope full of photos and letters in support of his dog, he had taken the week off work due to the stress of it all, after waiting for an hour whilst his paperwork was being looked through by the Judges, we entered into the courtroom, it was tense and emotional. The Police breed identification expert explained to the court that Gem had been seized during a local initiative targeting anti-social behaviour in the neighbourhood, she described Gem as ‘gentle and placid’ and ‘with a good temperament’, the court ordered her registered onto the Index.”
Richard Webb had collated statements regarding the good temperament of his dog and left Court relieved but shaking and hardly able to speak. The Police expert kindly agreed to visit the kennels that afternoon and check on Gem’s condition, which was reported back the next day bringing some relief to her worried owner. Registration paperwork from the Index arrived within days and was returned within an hour by Gem’s eager owners who just wanted her back home.
Behaviourist Julie Pett of SAVED-Dogs is giving aftercare advice for Gem and other pet dogs who have been through the same process.
Owner Richard comments: “At the moment I can’t put into words what my family and I have been through, every day I thought of my dog and made enquires but felt like I was getting nowhere, I can’t thank EDDR enough for their support, it is great to have Gem back, her condition was okay, this had worried me a great deal, I’m just so pleased she has been allowed to live by the court and is now back home. I think the law needs to be changed, what we’ve been through is not right nor necessary.”
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“gentle and placid’ and ‘with a good temperament’”
Yet over a month in kennels at the cost of the tax payer to deem her dangerous in the eyes of the law!
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Alison
The Metropolitan Police can do what they want, they shot Mr Redhills dog when it was confused and at one stage according to one witness licking Nr Redhill’s face when he was on the ground.
I used to think that it was an urban myth that the police would just walk up to somebody in the street and take their dog off to the kennels as a PBT type, well not anymore I don’t!
Did the police expert have almost 20 years experience of APBT and PBT types, like the lady who says that she has but is still stumped at times when looking at certain dogs?
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I think it very scary that these so called qualified people are assessing these dogs and they just take any dog, qualified i do not beleive. Rotties up here in Leeds are shot on the spot according to the latest paper. What is the world coming to its like mass hysteria, someone needs to sort this out and soon!!
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Well Thank god some thing is done about these dogs, rather a dog then a small child!! It is not scare mongering, its the case of putting a childs life before a dogs at the end of the day you cannot rely on the ole chessnut “Oh hes never done that before, hes such a good dog, so loving” the legislation needs to be re done in order to protect poor children who end up on the recieving end of these attacks. I myself was attacked by an unleashed unmuzzled pit bull!
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ysabella Reply:
April 27th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
@Tom,
Rather a dog than a child?
Well with the dog listed above, Gem, that isn’t a choice that anyone has to make.
The whole point of the article is that the dog is not dangerous.
Where I lived in Australia, a child was attacked and badly bitten by a daschund. Yes, a small dog like this can be easily tackled by an older child or adult, but if there’s no older child or adult there, then that doesn’t matter. A small dog can kill a frail, small person.
As for your pit bull attack:
You know it was a pit bull?
You blame the owner AT ALL? Even thought about the owner, or is it all the ‘devil dog’?
We have something in common, though…both of us are writing in our second language.
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Joy van Veen Reply:
October 3rd, 2009 at 3:00 am
Whether the dog was a pit or not is not the issue. That a dog owner was irresponsible and allowed their dog to become aggressive and then let it run at large; is the issue. Here in the USA labradors have the highest number of bite reports. Yet you don’t hear people saying all labs should be destroyed.
My guide dog and I were attacked recently by a dog running at large. We were both injured and both required medical attention. The dog was NOT a pit bull. The response of the Animal Control Officer was to tell me I should leave my dog home so it wouldn’t be attacked. The response of the judge was that the owner should follow the law requiring any dog be licensed, which this dog wasn’t. He was not even required to pay medical expenses. The response of the dog’s owner was that I had cost him money to get his dogs licensed and rabies shots because of my complaint. What breed the dog was had nothing to do with the whole thing.
Strictor laws against dogs who have demonstrated they are aggressive, and strict enforcement of those laws; is what is needed!!!!
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my dog is a terrier: staff bull cross and was seized on monday at notting hill carnival, i have little information about his were abouts. when he was seized the officer gave my sister wrong information.
Can any one please help me, i dont know what to do.
many thanks Shadia
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Shadia,
So sorry to hear this. I have emailed you my contact details to offer some help. Hope to speak to you soon,
Alison.
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brian young Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
hi my american pitbull was seized last wednesday the police came heavy handed and took my dog away which my 20month old daughter has been crying out his name he is a lovely male dog i just got a call tonight 9yh dec that he is a pitbull but i have to wait some more heartache for my family and my other dog an american bulldog hasnt eat i am in great need of help as no one is helping me please please can you help me in getting my dog back thank you brian blackpool lancashire
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Frankie Reply:
December 10th, 2009 at 12:01 am
message for brian young;
for help and advice concering the seizure of your dog/the dangerous dogs act law, contact DDA Watch – http://www.ddawatch.co.uk
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Tom
This dog like most others had done nothing wrong! It was taken based on looks alone! If its ok for staff bull crosses and dogs that look a certain ‘type’ to be seized for no reason at all then shouldnt it be the same for all dogs? Of course that would never happen. Any dog can attack and its been known to happen. Unfortunately we only seem to read about ‘pitbulls’ and Rottweilers attacking. Most of the dogs branded as pitbulls were in fact mongrels or a totally different breed altogether! There are hundreds of dog attacks on children and adults almost daily and most of them are by a different breed of dog, from the smallest to the largest. You say you were attacked by a pitbull. I take it you are an expert on dog breeds to know for a FACT that it was a pitbull and not just a mongrel with a large head? I agree the legislation needs to be changed. It needs to be removed full stop as its done nothing to prevent dog attacks. But it wont be because that will be the government admitting defeat. What about the other end of the leash? Why not start putting some blame onto the owners. Why do they allow their dogs to run loose in the first place, or leave children unattended with a dog? ALL of these incidents can be prevented through good parenting and dog ownership. Dogs are just used as scapegoats for owners and parents mistakes. Its so sad.
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Shadia
I am so sorry to hear this. I hope you find your pet soon.
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Hi, Everyone ive had a staffy dog for 5 years now,
Shortly after getting him from a Kennel, Waterfall Kennels near Middlesbrough in the Northeast. The dog (Tyson) started barking at lads round about the age of 14-17,
It got worse as time went on, And now the dog is starting to turn abit funny with my close family & friends, And even me at times the others day i feed him and his feeding bowl was in the way abit so i went to move it and he nearly went for me, I told him off for doing it, But i feel he did,nt take any notice of me at all.
I only take him out for a walk after 10:30 night time,
and take him in the garden all day with his lead on at all times.
And i cant bring myself to have him put to sleep as ive had him for 5 years now, I know what i should do with him.
I feel i need help with him and he mite change if something is/can be do with him training/Etc.
Regards Andrew…….
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Joy van Veen Reply:
October 3rd, 2009 at 2:48 am
When your dog first started showing signs of aggression, what did you do? As to what you should do, you need professional help. Getting useful advice on stopping aggression in a dog from a brief description, is not possible. Check around for trainers who have had good results dealing with aggressive dogs. Whether the dog will need to be put down or not, no one can tell from your post. If you can’t get the dog’s aggression under control, you will either have to take extra measures to ensure your dog never gets the chance to bite someone, or euthanise the dog.
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Hi and thanx for all the support as this article was about me & my dogs…
To start with Tom its people like yourself who cause the problem in the first place & honestly without being truly as harsh as i would like i will & would not even take the time anymore to try & make some people like yourself see the truth as its not worth the bother in the first place… I am sure it was a pitbull that attacked you….
Then about my dogs the only reason gem was really taken on that day as they were doing an initative in my area for "pitbull type dogs" & i was unlucky as simple as that & as quoted by Inspector simon Ovens personally on the phone i remember him saying "oh you were just unlucky & to be honest we dont really come & take pitbulls unless they have been reported by someone" What a joke.
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Then to my dog gem, she is not a Pitbull fullstop she is a staffie x like most you could find in rescue centres across the UK & the main reason they took her was because when they first came up to me they asked to take pictures of me & my two bull breeds leaving out my spaniel & basically trying to e me look like some thug then when i said this to them they went very defencive & one officer ( who was apparently the expert ) came over & said well shes a pitbull were taking her & it just went from bad to worse…. and i was nearly arrested as i was just getting more and more angry to which the lovely officer in charge kept telling me " to get angry as he would just take my other dogs too & nick me" Thanks PC Garden 403EK I will never forget your name or number for that… Good for you & how proud you must be to for really helping clean up the streets of london.
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The sad truth is we have probably over half a million of these type of staffie x dogs that could be looked at as being of "pitbull type" & thats all it needs to be for some plonker to take your dog off you… What a sad country we live in & personally i have no trust in the police or the government to ever sort this out, i lost all the respect i had for the police the day they started this with my dog.
On a sidenote about Pits anyone interested in further reading & trying to understand this breed should look into ancient breeds like dudley terriers & red smuts ( interesting reading )
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And just a quick one for the type error it was PC Mark Garner lol
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The sad thing is i am totally against any form of animal abuse & i personally would just be the person to call the rspca i would "do" something myself i so often see people on the sidelines who talk so much crap & sit there on there computers & with the cameras ready to make problems for people, I am not that type of person i just wanted to be left alone with my dogs, take them for long walks ( usually no less than a couple of hours a day ) and be left alone with my happy family & not bothered just like most people & before this whole incident i would of done my level best to help the police in anyway possible as i am the most passionate person of canines you will ever meet & theres nothing i would not do to help an animal in general & i would have actually liked to help the police & even educate them in regards to the problems they face with the so called epidemic! Not Now
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christian brown Reply:
December 26th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
I have found myself in the same situation a Richard Webb with Gem, and now I am waiting for the results of the point scores for the characteristics of the pbt. Any sugestions to help get my dog back?
Thank you.
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Frankie Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
contact http://www.ddawatch.co.uk for advice, I hope your dog is allowed back home to you Christian.
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i have a staff but dnt know wot type of staff it is ? does all staff dogs need to be registered does anyone know ?
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