Staffies And The Dda

[krusewalker]

There is a thread on the RHU inspired by a thread on the nannydog inspired by a group on facebook asking folks to sign a petition on the Gov petition site to fight the new proposals to add staffies to the DDA.

 

Ive asked for evidence from both sites where they got this story from, and to point me to the facebook link.

None given so far. I cant find the group on facebook myself.

 

This is the petition: Staffie petition

 

Which in itself gives no evidence either, just a statement with nothing backing it up.

I've said that this all sounds a bit unlikely yo me.

Espesh as you guys have said nothing about this, and you are the experts.

 

Right now there are people on both forums getting all hot and bothered and signing away despite my pointing out that we don't actually have any evidence that this is even true yet.

 

Unless you know something? I hope it aint true.

[Rumpole]

There are no plans to add any breeds to section one of the dda

Discussions within defra took place as far as i know as to whether the dda needed strengthening but it was decided that the government felt that the dda was sufficient as it was if it was enforced correctly, so instead guidelines were updated to supposedly clarify to authorities the current legislation and how to use it effectively.

 

the staffordshire bull terrier is consistantly in the top ten of breeds registered at the kennel club each year and are still an extremely popular breed which are one of only a couple of breeds recomended as companions to children hence their nanny dog status that obviously doesnt mean they do not ever cause injury but it is a testament to their breeding and personality.

 

All of our four breeds currently banned are breeds not recognised in our country the pit bull was already here but the other breeds apart from one tosa were not thought to have been imported at that time and were added in my opinion because once the ban was placed on pit bulls they were assumed to be breeds that people who had owned pit bulls would move on to rather than their propensity for biting, the Dogo is a hunting dog and the tosa a big clumsy wrestler used as a ceremonial centrepiece neither they nor the pit bull were bred to attack people. The government know that they would struggle to pass a law banning a native or recognised breed which is why they didnt in 1989 and why i feel its very unlikely they would do it now.

[Rumpole]

i do however worry that irresponsible owners and continued serious bite incidents may ultimately lead to calls for law change but i think that if that happens it will affect all owners of all breeds and not in a good way

[krusewalker]

thanks for that rumpole

 

thats what i thought

 

i think there has been some confusion along the way

[Rumpole]

just been on rhu, saw your posts, well replied have a wreath

 

maybe the facebook thing was put up in the aftermath of 2007 when suggestions were made mainly by the press that the government add breeds defra agreed to look into the dda and concluded that there was no reason to add breeds as i said but perhaps someones stumbled upon an old facebook post.

[krusewalker]

I think i have might have discovered the source of the confusion.

I did a search on the e-petition site, using "DDA"

 

This came up:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/DDA-staffys/

 

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Add the staffordshire bull terrier to the Dangerous Dogs Act. More details

 

Submitted by Miss Samantha French – Deadline to sign up by: 28 December 2008 – Signatures: 61

 

Stupid petition - only got 61 signatures! - now closed

 

I'm guessing that someone on Facebook mistook this petition as a law planned by the Gov and so started an opposing petition and Facebook group, in turn this inspired the thread on nannydog then RHU?

[YasminR]

Very silly petition in my opinion, then again I would say that owning two Staffords

 

Although they are such a popular breed with the Kennel Club the constant back yard breeding of them is getting out of control, more people selling them cheap and sometimes absolute idiots buying them, not training them and giving the rest of the breed an unfair name which puts the fear of god in me that one day not too far away the Stafford will be on the DDA.

 

The media portray of Staffords is always poor too which does not help public perception of them and with this and the way some people bring them up with no training and letting them run wild which can ruin a simple walk for us responsible owners. (we have had children dragged away, dogs been picked up by their owners and once we had a man yelling at us abusively simply because of the breed we own)

The media will not stop reporting ''Staffy types'' and they certainly wont stop printing the images of these ''types'' teeth baring and growling, will this keep pushing the government into placing Staffords on the DDA?

 

A Stafford puppy is adorable but they are very high energy, its lovely when a 8 week old puppy is mouthing you and playing but when they hit 8 months and weigh a tonne its not.People need to be more responsible when owning them if this happend and the media layed off a bit the publics view of them might change but boy will it take time. I so so strongly belive the government and local authorities need to advise on dog ownership and promote responsible ownership in local communities a hell of a lot more.

 

There is a petition on facebook, my friend set is up feel free to join the group for Staffords and the DDA

Should the day ever come this group is here, over 4000 signatures were on the government petition in the end.

 

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.p...7162&ref=ts