‘Pit Bull’ Seized on Isle of Man Set to Die
A pitbull type dog has been seized on the Isle of Man after being brought to the island from Northern Irleand
Pit bull type dogs are banned under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.
The dog is currently in the custody of kennels on the island but according to the govt, the dog has been deemed “dangerously aggressive” around other dogs.
A suitable home is being searched for in the Irish Republic, where pit bull type dogs are permitted with certain conditions but if a home can not be found, the government will euthanise this dog.
“Pitbull terrier types of dogs are not domestic pets, they are potential killers and should no suitable home be found off the island this dog will have to be put down,” a government spokesman said.
- And yet again, we see exactly how utterly, utterly out of their depth the government is on issues relating to dangerous dogs. ALL dogs are ‘potential killers’ (including Labrador puppies), this is an undeniable, proven, established, well recognised fact. The constant demonisation of certain dog breeds is something that the UK should hang its head in shame for.
It is views like this government spokesperson and Ken Baker, the MP who brought in the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act that has lead to dogs losing their life, their freedom and their right to humane living conditions whilst dog attacks have continued to rise.
The law is the law. We all understand that. But THIS law is, in the absolute true sense of the word, a complete ass.
End BSL. Reform the Dangerous Dogs Act NOW >>
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The Isle of Man isn’t a part of the UK, it has its own government and the UK’s Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 doesn’t apply.
In the Isle of Man the Dogs Act 1990 is an Act of Tynwald which contains numerous provisions including those related to dogs causing danger, nuisance, etc. Unlike the legislation currently in force in the United Kingdom, there is no list of prescribed species of dog. The Dogs Act 1990 also contains provisions regarding dog licences and is enforced both by the island’s Department of Local Government and the Environment, through the services of its contracted Dog Warden, and the Isle of Man Police. The Act has been considered to be adequate by both agencies for dealing with problems associated with dogs, dangerous or otherwise.
In January 2007 John Shimmin, Minister for Local Government and the Environment said:
“Unlike the UK we do not need to prove by the use of DNA tests that the control of a specific dog falls within the parameters of our legislation. We have recognised for many years now that all dogs have the potential to be dangerous and we have the means to deal with them.”
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bit of confusion here re this article though, the Isle of Man is not part of the UK, the person who introduced this bill is not an MP, as the Parliament in London has no right to pass law on the island, the Queen as Lord of Man promulgates all laws passed by her Tynwald or House of Keys (Manx Parliament-the oldest and longest functioning democratic parliament in the world!)
now onto the question of dangerous dogs, yes ALL dogs are dangerous but over recent years a high number of common traits have been noted in investigations of dog attacks, common factors have included age of person attacked, time of day, circumstances around attack and most tellingly-breed of dog
how we legislate to protect owners, the public and dogs is a hard question to solve however, do i feel either the Manx or British governments have done the right thing?-ask any parent whos’ child or loved one has been attacked and they will answer one way and any animal lover concerned about the rights of an individual animal will answer another
a maxim in law generally is “innocent till proven guilty”, and this has been cited by animal lovers in defence of the accused breeds, however when the individual has no concept of innocence or guilt but only of instinct then this argument has no value
by all means protect the animal-and as stated the animal is possibly going to be homed in Eire by the Manx government wheras in the UK the animal would be automtically destroyed, but the governnment of both UK and Isle of Man have as part of their mandate from the people an expectation to protection from harm and hence the law passed-with all its problems-and yes i admit there are problems
so just petitioning for the abolishing of this law will never be taken seriously-what is required is a draft document/proposal for a law to take its’ place, a law that will protect the public, be affordable in a national budget, work within the appeals tribunal/legal framework, be functional/policable/sustainable and fair and satisfies all parties
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There is a draft of an alternative law which would see the emphasis of all dog’s actions placed on the owner http://www.dogownershiptest.co.uk – I feel (strongly) that owners should be ultimately responsible for the actions of their dogs and should bear the entire burden of responsibility for their dog’s behaviour. I do not, nor ever will, subscribe to the notion that a breed ban is remotely effective or humane. And that’s the key. I don’t speak out about on the grounds of humanity – although that IS a big deal – I speak out against it because it is a proven failed concept, worldwide.
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“Unlike the UK we do not need to prove by the use of DNA tests that the control of a specific dog falls within the parameters of our legislation. We have recognised for many years now that all dogs have the potential to be dangerous and we have the means to deal with them.”
There is no dna test to tell if an apbt is an apbt, there is not even a way to tell the difference between domestic dog dna and the dna of some other form of grey wolf
as for them not having bsl the apbt and tosa are listed under the Wild Animals (Restriction on Importation, etc.) Act 1980
http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/daff/scheduledwildanimals.pdf
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I just wish the US would abolish the breed altogether. The animals are used for fighting in almost all cases and the incidence of attack upon humans is high. It would be in the best interest of everyone to simply abolish and criminalize the breeding of pitbulls and sterilize the remaining animals as the French have ordered done.
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Joy van Veen Reply:
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:41 am
The majority of APBTs are NOT used for fighting. The breed was extensively used as an all purpose farm dogs in the 1800s. Then they became well known as great childrens dogs. Petey, of “Our Gang” fame, was an APBT. Other frequent uses for APBTs are cattle herding and mountain lion hunting. In the latter, they usually the only representative of their breed in a mixed pack of Coonhounds, Plotte hounds, Airedale Terriers, and some other breeds; with hound breeds making up the majority of the pack. Today, lion hunters are often employed to catch mountain lions for radio collaring.
The reason why there are so many incidences of aggression, is due to being owned by people who shouldn’t be allowed to have a dog.
1) The person who wants a tough aggressive dog because he thinks that makes him look tough himself. He encourages aggression.
2) The negligent owners. They don’t control their dogs, and often let the dogs run at large. Both boredom and interactions with other dogs leads them into mischief at best.
3) The person who doesn’t believe in rules or boudaries for their dogs, but only love. This type ignores or excuses bad behavior, or makes the behavior worse by trying to soothe the dog which the dog percieves as praise and confirmation that he is doing the right thing.
4) Dog fighters. They use cruel treatment to condition their dogs to fight. Any dog surviving for long is likely no longer completely sane. I believe that the most humane thing that can happen to any fighting dog confiscated, and the safest thing for the public; is for the dog to be euthanised.
As for communities where breed bans have been in place for a decade or more, aggressive dog attacks have not gone down. The breeds doing the attacking have simply altered. In Denver, Colorado, USA; Labrador Retrievers have become the breed with the most reported attacks. In some communities Golden Retriever attacks are on the rise and are higher than APBTs.
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