Another dog attack, man killed, can this just go on?

[IthinkIamAnAlien]

Just on the news - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-66817795

Week after week, there is something wrong with dogs (and the owners) today, I grew up with them and this never, ever happened. Maybe because dogs were treated as dogs and not trophy animals. Awful for everyone.

I’d love it if they were all PTS to be honest. That would be the dream.

Ok maybe I should have asked a different question to make the point better; ‘why not allow tigers to be walked around in public?’. If it’s all about the owner and nothing inherent in the animal.

My main point was that you can’t just say ‘but it’s bad ownership’. There are some things that are just too dangerous. That’s why we have the 4 banned breeds already. Although I suppose there are some who think they shouldn’t be banned either.

But what has banning breeds actually achieved? Has it stopped dog attacks? No - in fact, they've increased massively since the Dangerous Dogs Act came in.

They banned pitbulls, so now we have XL bullies. They're now banning XL bullies - so what's to stop them creating another breed?

I don't like XL bullies by the way, but I don't think cries of "ban the lot" are actually going to make any long-term difference.

@VeterinaryCareAssistant

I just thought they deserved a nice bully cuddle in their old age.

The way you delight in the idea of vulnerable elderly people being put in situations they'd be uncomfortable in and unable to get out of is really fucking weird mate.

Banning breeds did work for a long, long time. Pitbulls have been banned longer than I've been alive, and XLs have only just become an issue. It does work. The laws will just have to keep up with the new dangerous dogs as they appear.

Not everyone walks around in fear of being attacked by most breeds of dogs. Many many children love having a pet dog.

I actually don't know anyone who quivers in fear around dogs such as Bichan Frises, Labradoors etc.

I understand some people don't like dogs but for most people they aren't a problem. People who enjoy walking often have dogs

I certainly wouldn't let one of mine approach anyone so there would be no taking food from a child.

The law should come down harsher on the owners, they should be charged with GBH or manslaughter, owners of dogs not on leads should be prosecuted, Tom, Dick or Harry shouldn't be allowed to breed dogs, and dog wardens should be reinstated, I could go on and on and on, but none of the above will happen because it costs money, so bring back licencing. I am a dog owner and it distresses me to see how many of these amazing animals are abused and bred or raised to be vicious.

No, it is perfectly understandable.

@VeterinaryCareAssistant is just acting like the school bully who picked on the wrong person who stood up to them. Having lost the argument and their veneer so that we can all see how weak their character really is, they just go on and confirm that my thrashing out in pathetic, nasty childish and immature ways.

Perfectly understandable.

It didn't work, though, because dog attacks have been on the rise since way before anyone had even heard of the "XL bully".

Exactly. Banning breeds is reactionary legislation that won't solve the core issues around dog breeding and ownership.

Until the government cracks down on puppy farming and backyard breeding, nothing will change.

Well said

It did work. The dog population has grown massively in that time to start with. And deaths have only spiked in the last couple of years.
Fewer dogs and more regulation is needed.

Glad you agree with @Seychal character analysis @VeterinaryCareAssistant

Maybe something to work on internally.

Licences never solved any thing. This will just make it go under cover more. American breeders sell sperm over here for £8,000 and no one can stop them!

Only the dogs are banned so nothing changes.

You really think druggies etc care about licences or the price. They just get a new one .

Banning breeds has worked for the pitbull. I work with dogs and I’d never even seen one for years never mind heard of a mauling by one (thankfully)
We now need to make it illegal to own a dog descended from, related to or created from a banned breed to avoid this mess happening again.

I’ve just watched a video of some idiot shoving her 2 XL bullies into a group of dogs and people paddling in a stream. All of the dogs look uncomfortable and the XL body language is not friendly. She has posted this to prove how ‘nice’ her dogs are but it’s just shown to me how disrespectful and rude bully owners are to force their dogs in peoples faces with no regard as to whether they are scared of them or not.

I own a ‘scary’ dog (GSD) and I would never force her upon people to prove a point because I’m not a dick.

Banning breeds has worked for the pitbull. I work with dogs and I’d never even seen one for years never mind heard of a mauling by one (thankfully). We now need to make it illegal to own a dog descended from, related to or created from a banned breed to avoid this mess happening again.

It didn't work, though. You only need to look at the list of fatal dog attacks to see that.

Pitbulls were "banned" in 1991 yet they were involved in fatal attacks in 1993, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 (twice), 2015 and 2016 (twice).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_the_United_Kingdom

In fact, in 2007, nearly 200 illegal Pitbulls were handed over to the police after a 5yo was killed by one (receiving 72 injuries in total).

Banning breeds doesn't stop those breeds existing, it doesn't stop dogs from attacking and it doesn't stop people from mixing together other breeds to create more, equally dangerous dogs.

@andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow I stand corrected 😊 I have honestly in 15 years never seen a confirmed or been involved with one other than dealing with various ‘bull breeds’ as a generalisation.

I’ve dealt with a lot of dangerous dogs and I can categorically say they have all been a bull breed, bar the odd Rottweiler or GSD.

@Shadowchaser I work with dogs too and the most aggressive/dangerous dogs I've ever worked with have actually been a husky and a mastiff/husky cross.

To continue the analogy with knife possession, legislation against the carrying of knives in public hasn’t stopped that either. I don’t think anyone is naive enough to think it would.

Should more be done, outside of a ban, to stop the carrying of knives? Yes!

Should we repeal the ban because the carrying of knives continues? No.

Of course we don’t know how many more APB attacks there would have been had there not been a ban. Easiest thing in the world to say ‘but it hasn’t eradicated them!’.

Of course it worked. Imagine how many deaths there would have been if they were still legal. And are you just going to ignore that 14 years where not 1 single death occurred due to a pitbull? I think that's a pretty significant success. Banning XLs will work too. As will banning whatever comes next.
People break laws all the time. Shall we legalise theft because people do it anyway?

Yes, opened up another trait.

My daughter’s friend has a dogue de Bordeaux and has had similar reactions

I know someone with an ultimate mastiff (dogue de Bordeaux x neopolitan mastiff). That thing is absolutely massive, weighs more than me, and is just as terrifying as an XL bully. Absurd to have anything that size walking around unregulated.