On the day when long awaited amendments to the Dangerous Dogs Act were announced in the Queen’s Speech, leading animal charity Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has outlined some of the steps it is taking to help prevent the use of dogs as weapons in acts of anti-social behaviour.
Battersea is working increasingly with youth groups, young offender’s institutes and people in prisons to better understand current attitudes towards the use of so-called "status" dogs in communities and why some young people choose to train dogs to be aggressive and a danger to society. The charity has produced a new film, Bully Breed, aimed at delivering a wakeup call to those who create problems in their communities by mistreating dogs in this way. Aimed at young people aged 13 to 24 years, Bully Breed illustrates the life-changing consequences such anti-social behaviour can result in, for both the perpetrators and their human and canine victims.
This compelling message from Battersea is being launched today at Westminster at a special video screening for the DEFRA Minister Lord de Mauley, Shadow Ministers, UK-wide MPs, London Assembly members, and the key groups Battersea works closely with in its vital community engagement work.
The Battersea launch comes on the day of the Queen’s Speech in Parliament, which delivered amendments to the Dangerous Dogs Act, making it an offence for a dog to be dangerously out of control in any place, including all private property.
Claire Horton, Battersea’s Chief Executive said:
“Battersea has long campaigned to improve our failing dog laws which have so far struggled to protect the public from serious dog attacks in the home or on the street. Whilst we welcome today’s amendments to the Dangerous Dogs Act, we're concerned they don't go far enough. We should be tackling the underlying reasons why a minority of irresponsible owners allow their dogs to become dangerously out of control and a threat to society. Much more emphasis needs to be given to early prevention. Let's go back a few steps and help influence the young dog owners of the future to not want to treat dogs as a weapon and a disposable commodity."
Battersea will target the Bully breed film for young people in inner-city communities, where dogs are often seen as an attractive accessory in gang culture. Its main audience of 13 to 24 year olds is the age group most likely to use dogs as a form of protection. In it the key protagonist, a 17 year old boy, buys a Rottweiler to use to intimidate and attack a gang that mugged him. Tragic events unfold, with the overwhelming message that any dog can be trained to be aggressive and attack, and such actions will result in prosecution and the animal being destroyed.
Claire Horton adds: “It’s a sad reality that some people get a dog for all the wrong reasons and train them to be aggressive and a danger to society. We must protect the public from such dangerous dogs but we must do much more about bad owners and those who could follow in their footsteps.”