Victory for Deed Not Breed in Scotland
Published on April 22, 2010 by BVA · 4 CommentsVets are celebrating a victory for the principle of ‘deed not breed’ in the control of dangerous or out of control dogs, after the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill passed Stage 3 in the Scottish Parliament unanimously today.
As a member of the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG), the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has been lobbying members of the Scottish Parliament to support the Control of Dogs Bill since it was introduced as a Member’s Bill by Alex Neil MSP and continued by Christine Grahame MSP.
Ahead of the Stage 3 debate the BVA and DDASG lobbied all MSPs requesting their support for an amendment tabled by Patricia Ferguson MSP, which removed the reference to a dog’s “size and power” when considering whether it is out of control.
The amendment was passed today by 57 to 42 votes.
Commenting, Professor Bill Reilly, President of the BVA, said:
“This a fantastic step forward in our campaign against breed-specific legislation and we are grateful to Christine Grahame and Patricia Ferguson for enshrining the important principle of ‘deed not breed’ in legislation.
“The key message is that any dog can show aggression, particularly if it is not handled and trained properly, so legislation that provides the tools to target irresponsible ownership before it becomes a problem is very welcome.
“The rest of the UK should now look to Scotland and replace the failed breed-specific legislation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.”
Andrew Ash, President-Elect of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) and BVA representative on the DDASG, added:
“The BSAVA is delighted that the Scottish Parliament has signed up to the principle of deed not breed.
“A dog’s behaviour is largely the result of the rearing and training provided by the owner. The problems caused by dangerous dogs will never be solved until dog owners appreciate that they are responsible for the actions of their animals.
“The veterinary profession will continue to support all efforts to promote responsible ownership and work with owners who are struggling with their pets.”
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Tags: Breed Specific Legislation, bsl, dangerous dogs act, dda, deed not breed
so will the new law in scotland repeal the breed specific part of the dangerous dogs act or are pit bull types to remain banned?
Unfortunately not Frankie. And I’m sorry if our press release gives that impression.
The Scottish Parliament does not have the authority to repeal s1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act (only Westminster can do that) so it will remain in place.
However, what we very much hope is that this legislation will encourage a general shift in emphasis towards deed not breed and ultimately we will be in a situation where s1 becomes obsolete and can be removed without political wrangling.
We’ll see what comes out of the Defra consultation on dangerous dogs.
I deal with serious dog attacks every day. Almost half of these attacks are by dogs that are of Pit Bull Type, a breed that makes up less than 1% of the dogs in this country. I fully support the repeal of BSL WHEN society becomes responsible enough to own what is a very special animal. The problem with BSL is, like all preventative legislation, you cannot measure how successful it is. Also, when there is an incident, certain organisations are all too ready to say that BSL has failed. When a person is stabbed they dont say “relax our knife laws”, when a person id shot or dies of an overdose, they don’t say repeal the pertinant legislation. Whay say it when there is a dog attack?
I recently wrote a paper about the Pit Bull, and why it can be dangerous without being aggressive in the wrong hands, far more dangerous than other breeds, due to traits placed in it through 200 years of selective breeding. I named this paper “The betrayed breed” as this is how i feel about the way this dog has been treated from its creation, all the way up to modern day.
I believe that if the right legislation is put into place, and best efforts are made to educate all areas of society in responsible dog ownership, within ten years we may see a society that is, on the whole, responsible enough for breed specific legislation to be removed without increasing the risk to public safety.
To all the responsible owners of legally held Pit i say, enjoy them, they are very special dogs!
Holdim
thanks for the reply BVA and for explaining that
who put that bit in the Bill in the first place about the size and power of the dog? That was a close shave wasn’t it, good it was taken out eventually
shame the bsl part remains, there was so much said about ‘deed not breed’ i thought the law was going to be removed, will it ever become obsolete when so many cross breeds can look like a ‘type’ and can be caught up under section one of this law, it’s been 18years now, how long does it take to remove a terrible law and how many dogs, puppies included have to die under it, so very sad and frustrating, the law is changing to make inside your house a public place and bsl remains, frankie