At the British Veterinary Association London Dinner, BVA President Bill Reilly put forward the view of his organisation that breed specific legislation should be ditched. However, Govt Minister Lord Davies of Oldham is not so sure. Speaking about various animal health matters – including his views on dog breeding standards and the need for change following the Bateson Report, he explained that he is ‘always willing to listen’ to those who oppose BSL, but believes the Scottish proposal for a change in the law demonstrates that BSL couldn’t be ‘easily ditched’.Lord Davies on dog breeding:

I agree that education to owners and even more important prospective owners is key to improving the health and welfare of dogs. One of the problems with dog breeding is the degree of ignorance that seems to exist when it comes to selecting puppies.

Health, temperament and the environment in which they are going to be kept, not appearance or fashion should be the deciding factor when it comes to deciding what breed or type of dog you want as your pet.

The veterinary profession and animal welfare organisations are uniquely placed to get this message across and I welcome the work being done by the BVA and others to produce guidance and come up with practical solutions to deal with this problem.

The government has made it clear that it welcomes the recent reports by Sir Patrick Bateson, the Associate Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare and the RSPCA and I am impressed by the momentum that exists within the dog world to see long overdue reforms in the way that dogs are bred in this country.

Lord Davies on the Pet Travel Scheme:

It’s been very rewarding working closely with the BVA on Pets and we continue to take rabies, tick and tapeworm controls very seriously. We hope to begin working with EU partners to develop a common surveillance programme on tapeworm and as the BVA knows, we are already considering the additional evidence we will need on tapeworm and ticks in order to make sure our controls continue to protect the UK from the incursion of these serious diseases.

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Lord Davies on Breed Specific Legislation:

I am grateful for the very forthright comment on dangerous dogs and the effectiveness of breed specific legislation. This is not the right forum to discuss the pros and cons of a breed specific ban but what I would say to those that want it repealed is that I and my colleagues in Defra are always willing to hear from those who want to change the law.

I only ask that those who want change should always provide the evidence to show that their suggestions for change are going to improve matters and are a proportionate response to the problem that needs to be addressed. The draft Bill from Scotland suggests to me that however unpalatable breed specific legislation may be it is not something that can easily be ditched.

Lord Davies of Oldham is Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

Breed Specific Legislation kills innocent dogs and destroys families. It costs the tax payer millions of pounds each year and has not lead to a reduction in the number of dog attacks or fatalities involving dogs. It has frequently been described as one of the worst pieces of knee-jerk legislation ever to make it in to law.

Don't forget Bruce!!

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