Today's challenge
Apparently Wandsworth Council has gone a bit extreme and are trying to bring in a few measures that could make life very hard for dog owners. I suspect this is a knee-jerk reaction to the Rottie and the baby incident.
If you have any inside knowledge or ideas do please share because at 4pm I get picked up to go on ITV's London Tonight at 6pm - it'll be live and I need to make some decent points to try to help avoid chaos in Wandsworth.
Basically they want to bring in a licence for fighting dog types (?) of £500 a year. Dogs not already covered by the DDA - so do they mean Rotties?
They will also have the power to evict anyone who has a 'fighting-type dog' -that is out of control.
Sounds complete madness to me. And everyone who has a Staffie, Rottie, cross will be living in fear of falling out with a neighbour in case there's an allegation made against their dog.
I'm sure something else newsworthy will happen in the next few hours and we'll get bumped.
What would you say if you were in the chair?
Just been given this link to Wandsworth council's site - have a read. £500 a year per dog - gulp! Only the drug dealers will be able to afford dogs.
Been having a mull - here's my ideas so far:
I have to say this isn't the easiest topic to deal with, it's easy for it to become emotive and for me to be seen as callous. But I think the basic thrust is that no one should keep dogs as guards. That a dog treated mean and kept outside in the yard is a huge danger to the owner and their family. And that is the lesson we should learn from the recent tragedies involving dogs and children.
All the dogs that have been killed were acquired because they were perceived to be dangerous - and that's the problem!
Wandsworth's proposals would put dog ownership out of the league of normal people - only drug dealers and dog fighters could afford them - and I don't think that would make me feel any safer!
As Staffies are the number one dog through rescue in the south think how many home-checked responsible owners would be hit by this dog tax. It's madness.
How about a system where you prove your dog is a good citizen - just like you can reduce your congestion charge by cutting emissions. if you take your dog on a training course you don't pay the tax?
What do you think folks? What will the intreviewer say to that one?
If you have any inside knowledge or ideas do please share because at 4pm I get picked up to go on ITV's London Tonight at 6pm - it'll be live and I need to make some decent points to try to help avoid chaos in Wandsworth.
Basically they want to bring in a licence for fighting dog types (?) of £500 a year. Dogs not already covered by the DDA - so do they mean Rotties?
They will also have the power to evict anyone who has a 'fighting-type dog' -that is out of control.
Sounds complete madness to me. And everyone who has a Staffie, Rottie, cross will be living in fear of falling out with a neighbour in case there's an allegation made against their dog.
I'm sure something else newsworthy will happen in the next few hours and we'll get bumped.
What would you say if you were in the chair?
Just been given this link to Wandsworth council's site - have a read. £500 a year per dog - gulp! Only the drug dealers will be able to afford dogs.
Been having a mull - here's my ideas so far:
I have to say this isn't the easiest topic to deal with, it's easy for it to become emotive and for me to be seen as callous. But I think the basic thrust is that no one should keep dogs as guards. That a dog treated mean and kept outside in the yard is a huge danger to the owner and their family. And that is the lesson we should learn from the recent tragedies involving dogs and children.
All the dogs that have been killed were acquired because they were perceived to be dangerous - and that's the problem!
Wandsworth's proposals would put dog ownership out of the league of normal people - only drug dealers and dog fighters could afford them - and I don't think that would make me feel any safer!
As Staffies are the number one dog through rescue in the south think how many home-checked responsible owners would be hit by this dog tax. It's madness.
How about a system where you prove your dog is a good citizen - just like you can reduce your congestion charge by cutting emissions. if you take your dog on a training course you don't pay the tax?
What do you think folks? What will the intreviewer say to that one?
Comments
I think it is important to point out that ALL breeds ( & X breeds) whatever the size, are capable of inflicting damage on people.
That people who buy dogs should research before buying & ensure the dogs are socialised properly.
Most owners of large (wrongly called aggressive) breeds are very responsible owners who attend training classes & properly care for their pets.
Imposing these charges will penalise these responsible owners as the irresponsible ones won't pay.
I wonder what the councils dog wardens views are ?
Surely they should be involved as 1st point of contact if such a dog is reported.
Good Luck...we are all hoping you can inject some common sense into the debate.
I am against neutering per se as a means of combating aggression. I think there are issues linked to neutering that are often ignored: for example, neutered dogs can have difficulties with other dogs because they aren't "read" in the same way. It's a matter of language for them.
I council my clients to try chemical sterilization before the big snip (!) to see how the dog will act. This is increasingly the practice in Sweden.
As for a lower charge for "good" doggies, I am not so sure this would work after the first attack by a dog that had passed the test. It could even be counter productive and show that even so-called trained dogs can be dangerous.
Not that I am against training at all. I think that it shouldn't be linked to legislation, though.
I'd like to see breeders vet owners more carefully. As a trainer and breeder, I am incredibly fussy about who I sell to. Okay, I breed bassets (harmless, couch potatoes!) but I still expect my prospective buyers to demonstrate an incredible understanding of what they are taking on.
I'm glad the media turn to you Beverley. It's good that a voice of reason gets heard amongst the craziness that is involved in discussing dogs.
best wishes,
Jon
Have only just seen this so no help for you interview. Try doing a search on 'Surrey Comet Dangerous Dogs' and you will see the problems that Wandsworth and other London Boroughs are having. This may not be the answer but peoples pets are being reguarly killed and the dogs which are causing these problems are being ill treated by their so called owners. Something does need to be done and fast.
If this is a kneejerk reaction to the recent Rottweiler attacks,then they should word their statements better and with more thought.Rottweilers are a herding breed and were known as "the butchers dog" because they were used for herding cattle to market so where does the fighting bit come into their description?
Im guessing though that Wandsworth council have local elections this year and are trying appease a small minority of non dog owners voters by exagerating their fears of such breeds.Wouldnt suprise me if the councillor who suggested this isnt as popular as they hope and need this exposure.
That dog was a Staffie - one of the breeds Cll Lister wants classified as dangerous, fighting-type dogs. One one hand it's a much beloved family pet, on the other it's a snarling, raging, devil dog. He can't have it both ways.
As someone who lives 100 yards from where that attack happens, and who owns a completely daft staffie x whippet I live in fear of walking my dog. Not because of the dogs around, but because of the ignorance, narrow-mindedness and downright stupidity of the people who cross the road to avoid my Kennel Club Bronze Good Citizen, Pets as Therapy in training, Staffy cross.