Hi this makes very interesting and thought provoking reading what does everyone else think

www.publications.parliame.../09009.i-i.html

Well I cannot see it working. At the moment we have a ban on certain breeds, ie: Pitbulls, yet how many of us regularly see youths with these type of banned breed out on the streets. I live in a village in Hertfordshire, it did once used to be a nice village, until the MoD sold off it's properties to Housing Associations from inner London. We then had an influx of certain type of people that would make your hair stand on end, some were evicted from the properties for bad behaviour, but it has left people that are not used to our way of life. I hope this doesn't sound snobby, but when you have children of teenage years, it causes a worry.

The point I am trying to make is that in our village there are three Pitbulls and not one Police officer has ever stopped and asked what breed this dog is.

For this bill to work they would have to employ trained Dog officers to patrol the streets, not everyone is qualified to ascertain what breed a dog is. I also work in London at times and regularly see these dogs. Only last weekend, I walked my dogs to a sleepy little pond in the middle of knowhere and there was a Pitbull/Mastiff there, though a beautiful looking dog who was well behaved, it still frightens me a bit.

Also, there is something written that states "Any person has the right to report a dog if they feel frightened or threatened by it". That can be so misinterpreted. What if one of our Deerhounds was to run over to someone because they want to say hello and that person happens to be petrified of dogs and reports us? We all like to walk remote and I know from reading everyone elses posts on here that we are all responsible dog owners, but it does happen, luckily I haven't met anyone that doesn't like Murphy....yet but it will happen and how can I prove that he isn't vicious?

There needs to be some form of control here, but it is aimed at all dog owners when there is a minority of people that spoil it for everyone else. Surely the simplist way of control is for all dog owners to muzzle their dogs in public, there would be no bites or fights.

They will say we all have to pay an extortionate fee for a licence, but what will that do? Would that put people off adopting dogs from animal rescues?

What does everyone else think?

Most of the preposed act just go's over what's allready in place, but in more detail
than before, it just repeals the old acts
it gives that little bit more power to the police force
and it will also now cover private places - like your own back yard,
it wont get inforced,unless a dog does bite someone or shows its aggressive, the police just dont have the time
most of the dog laws we have already never get inforced anyway.

What this law dosent do is get rid of the stupid banned breeds list,
like it should do.

Lurch - the licence wont come in, some of the MP's are against a licence,
when i did write to them
as far as my MP was concerned at the time, the licence didnt work before
theres no way to inforce it and theres no evedance to say it will work again,
he is in mind that it will just be (cant find the right word) law abiding people
that will take out the licence.

Will have to find the letter and copy it.


If anyone wants to ask there mp anything,
then this is a good site, it go's directly to the mp you want,
although it does take a while for them to respond, mind you - my mp
did write back by letter, were as some of them just email back.
www.writetothem.com/

Hi lurch in my opinion surely the outline is better than what we have now i.e. (not the breed its the deed) that matters as there are reportedly more incidents involving dogs that are not on any banned list, you have stated about the right to report if frightened, any dog that dose'nt have recall should not be allowed to run free and should be walked on a lead so as responsable dog owners we can avoid these incidents as for training officers, dog wardens and police officers should be aware of all legislation as part of there job and if a member of the public notices they are not doing there job there are appropriate channels for reporting this, from what i can make of this bill the legislation will cover all dogs and owners and not just a few that are on a banned list which from my point of view must be a good thing

I agree that this improves on the existing legislation. I always walk Ben on lead unless I'm sure that there's no body else or animals around as I've never been able to fully train him for recall, it just works up to a point! He was once attacked by a dog that was off-lead and cused an extremely minor injury to the dog that attacked him, in self-defense, a sratch about 1/2 inch long and no blood. The owner of the other dog knew a police officer and lied to him saying that his dog had been attacked by Ben and that Ben was not on a lead. The other owner had a girl friend with him they both said Ben was off-lead so it was my word against 2 others. I'm sure that there are many irresponsible dog owners out there who would think of nothing in lying if they felt they were about to get into trouble with the law.

I was also once walking Ben on-lead along a canal, we passed an angler and Ben turned and licked his face. The Angler started screaming get that dog away from me and was obviously extremely scared of dogs. He thought that Ben was about to attack him even though Ben was just trying to lick him. If a police officer had been there I hate to think where tthings would hahave led.

Finally the act says it's an offense to kill or injure another animal, I just hope that we don't hear of any actions against dogs and owners whose dogs have killed rabbits/squirrels and reported by a do goody or even hurt a cat that's wandered into the garden.

You can hunt rabbitts and grey squirrells with dogs. So that would need to be clarified. I think most sighthounds (there will always be an exception)that would not come back if called if in sight of anything, the ears shut down and they just focus what is in sight.

It does seem to me same 'stuff', different day, going over old ground and there will be no one to enforce this.

There are a lovely couple who live near me, they have an old Retreiver and a 3 yr old Leonberger. Beautiful dogs, but never on a lead, the retreiver is old and arthritic and can hardly walk, but the Leonberger is very big and 'moody' if that is the right word. He comes over as if he is going to eat you! We walked up our drive once to put the dogs in the van and he just appeared on our garden, my terrier wanted to eat him!

They were walking to the shop recently, again, off lead and a child of about 10/11 was standing outside the shop holding onto her little Staffie. Now this dog apparently has a control order on it, what for? I do not know, but the Leonberger went over to the Staff, growling as he does and a fight occurred. Someone called the Police and the Staff owners are now in trouble. Now, not knowing why this dog has an order on it, but to me, that was unfair, the Leonberger was not in control and although it was a child holding the Staff, he was at least on a lead.

For Scotland, which has a separate legal system, see www.scottish.parliament.u...ntrol/index.htm

I think this is an attempt to improve the current problem with dogs that are being bred for fighting and let loose by idiots into the community. Innocent people's pets are being killed by them in local parks apparently. Personally I would have thought it would be better to clamp down on these people who are breeding Staffy type dogs that are so obviously going to the wrong homes (and the rescue centres are full of them.)

We were actually driven out of our last property by the neighbours dogs, they were just small terriers but totally out of control, attacking (and killing our cat) and various other animals and pets on a nearby public footpath. The police did nothing, and said they couldnt act without 'evidence', and 'witnesses' which on a lonely rural footpath was virtually impossible. So I am a bit cynical about whether many prosecutions would actually materialise.