EGAR Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 I've just received a press release from Rosie, Roger had tried to call me earlier but I was busy with the dogs: Ofcom rule that UTV broadcast re: dangerous dogs “unfair†to Dr Roger Mugford At 8.00 pm today, 12th January, Ulster Television will be required to broadcast the following statement: “This is a summary of an adjudication by Ofcom, the communications regulator, of a complaint made by Dr Roger Mugford about an edition of Insight called Bad Dog. The programme reported on the law in Northern Ireland regarding dangerous dogs. It suggested that some expert witnesses - including Dr Mugford - were prepared to mislead the courts over a dog’s breed, in order to prevent it from being destroyed. Ofcom found that this was a serious allegation. However the programme did not provide Dr Mugford with an appropriate and timely opportunity to respond. This was unfair." A complaint was lodged with Ofcom by Dr Roger Mugford, the well-known animal psychologist and who has also appeared as an expert witness in the matter of breed identification in courts throughout the United Kingdom and including Northern Ireland. The Insight team of UTV were following claims by the Ulster Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) and others that their efforts to eliminate (i.e. kill) dogs of the type known as the Pit Bull Terrier, which they had claimed were dangerous, were being thwarted by court cases in which expert witnesses provided evidence contrary to that of the USPCA. In August 2007, the USPCA conducted an undercover film operation (i.e. sting) which was set up to mislead Dr Mugford in order to obtain covert footage of his conduct. An alleged “five star blue chip pit-bull terrier†as described in the programme was provided for Mugford to assess, who considered that it was not a Pit Bull. At least one other expert has subsequently agreed that, based on the information provided to Mugford, she would also have concluded that he was not a Pit Bull Terrier. Nipper now lives happily (and legally) in the Republic of Ireland. UTV reporter Chris Moore conducted an “ambush†interview of Mugford in August 2007, following completion of a trial of another animal welfare organisation . Whilst ruling that the inclusion of the secret footage in the programme was not of itself unfair on a subject of this kind, Ofcom found that the programme had made significant and serious allegations about Dr Mugford that amounted to allegations of wrongdoing and incompetence. He should have been given an appropriate and timely opportunity to respond to those allegations and the failure by UTV to do so resulted in unfairness to him in the Insight programme broadcast Dr Mugford states as follows: “I am very pleased that the Insight programme on dangerous dogs has been found to be unfair by the broadcast regulating authority Ofcom. This programme did not just cause me personal hurt, but I believe that the attitudes that were displayed by the USPCA in this programme have contributed to the unnecessary death of many ordinary mongrels, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and others who have been brought before the NI courts. My view is that the USPCA campaign against Bull breeds, which often are pure-bred Staffordshire Bull Terriers, has produced no benefits in terms of public safety, nor has it diminished the (alleged) problem of illegal dog fighting. Rather, the USPCA campaign has mostly been directed at ordinary pet owners and seems to have bypassed the criminals who either breed or participate in the process of dog fighting.†Dr Mugford is available for interview on 07785 978 499 or may be contacted by e-mail [email protected]. The complete Ofcom judgment and background to the case may be inspected on www.ofcom.org.uk/tv under “broadcast bulletinsâ€. Note: The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was amended in 1997 in mainland UK, to not require mandatory destruction of dogs found to be of the Pit Bull type. This amendment was never enacted in Northern Ireland. The RSPCA and many other responsible organisations are seeking to repeal the Section 1 provisions of the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. those breed-specific elements relating to Pit Bull Terriers), believing that it is deed not breed which should determine whether or not dog owners should be prosecuted. Rosie Scott Legal Secretary Main office: 01932 574 293 Direct Dial: 01932 574 277 Fax: 01932 565 979 www.companyofanimals.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel n Hardy Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 good news on the ruling, I hope UTV were made to grovel were they fined at all, do you know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melp Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Do you know who the other expert was? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumpole Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 think they just had their knuckles rapped rosie emailed me last night, great news but they deserved much more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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