Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Written evidence submitted by Sophie Zoghbi

There are several issues relating to Dog Control and Welfare that I feel need to be brought to the attention of the EFRA Committee:

1. Breed Specific Legislation

Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (as amended in 1997) has been a complete failure. The DDA has failed to reduce dog attacks, and the unintended but tragic consequences of the Act have been (a) the killing of thousands of innocent family dogs, simply because of their measurements and the way they look; (b) the appeal of a banned breed to irresponsible individuals and gang-members resulting in them acquiring pitbull-type dogs and training them to be aggressive, thus resulting in the situation perpetuating itself. It is a well-established fact that no breed is inherently dangerous and for there to be a ban on any breed has had appalling results.

As a couple of examples I would refer to “Fudge” an innocent five-month old puppy in Liverpool. Fudge was seized from her home in March 2011 and killed just hours later, simply for the way she looked. Another example (although in Northern Ireland) is of “Lennox”, a dog who has done nothing wrong but has been incarcerated for over two years in a tiny dirty cell because of his measurements. There is a further point in that under the Act, there is currently no provision stray dogs judged to be “type” to be entered on to the Index of Exempted Dogs, which results in the destruction of thousands of stray friendly dogs who are totally rehomeable and with good temperaments. For example the sad case of “William” in Harrow earlier this year, a friendly stray who had been typed, and despite numerous offers to rehome him, Poor William had to be euthanised. Although I appreciate that a recent landmark ruling has been passed in the High Court stating that a “typed” dog can have a change of keeper, thus enabling them to be place on the Exempt Register, as far as I am aware, this does not currently apply to strays, which it should do. Why should a typed stray dog that has been deemed not a threat to public safety be treated any differently from a dog with an owner in the same position?

In any event, Breed Specific Legislation is not working and serves only to seize and kill innocent dogs whilst the true criminals (the irresponsible owners) still acquire dogs for the purpose of training them to be aggressive. Furthermore, the cost to the taxpayer of these unnecessary court cases and kenneling of seized dogs is high, and money would be much better spent on targeting dogfighting and making backyard breeding and puppy farms illegal (see below).

2. Dogfighting

Dogfighting is a tragic and widespread issue of cruelty which plagues towns and cities across the UK. Dogfighting results in the injury and death of hundreds of dogs, not only the dogs trained to fight but also the bait dogs that are used to test and showcase the fighting instinct of other dogs. The teeth of the bait dog are often removed and the defenceless bait dog is chained to a post or wall whilst the fighting dog attacks. Many bait dogs either die or even if rescued have to be euthanised. More action needs to be taken to track down and arrest those carrying out the evil crime of dogfighting and harsher sentences are required rather than the current maximum of 26 weeks for animal cruelty. Dogfighting and animal cruelty go hand-in-hand and more often than not, dogs involved in fighting are also victims of human violence. The penalties and sentencing for these offences should be higher. I would like to see five year-plus terms for animal abusers and dogfighters.

I would use an example of this cruelty a three-year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier named “Bion”. Bion was used as a bait dog for most of his life but was finally rescued and became a resident of Loving Homes Dog Rescue in Devon. Despite what had happened to him, Bion was a happy and loving little fellow who loved life. Bion loved running around the garden with his new friends and everyone around him was hopeful that Bion would now enjoy a long and happy life, however this was not to be. Bion’s rescuers knew that he had injuries as a result of his life as a bait dog, however when Bion was taken to the vet, it became apparent exactly how bad these were. Tragically, on 8 June 2012, Bion had to be put to sleep, to the great distress of all his supporters. Another victim of the cruel act of dogfighting.

3. Free Ads

This now brings me on to the free ads. There are a large number of advertisements offering dogs for sale in free ad websites such as Gumtree. It is sites like these that advertise “Dog free to good home” that those involved in dogfighting often use to obtain bait dogs. The ease of which dogs can be acquired on these sites is shocking, and many dogs that are sold and given away on free ads sites are cruelly treated. I would refer you to the recent example of Sean Deakin of Wigan. In May 2011, Sean Deakin acquired Tyson, a male Staffordshire bull terrier from Gumtree. Within only a few days of acquiring Tyson, Deakin battered Tyson, stabbed him, and left him on the kitchen floor to die in agony whilst he went to sign on the dole. The free ads site are also used by “backyard breeders” to advertise the dogs they have bred (more often than not to subsidise their benefits) and also by puppy farms. Please see below for more detail on these subjects. I would like to propose a ban on dogs (or indeed any animals) being offered on these sites for sale or otherwise. Dogs are living creatures which need protection, not commodities to be bought, sold and given away to anyone that wants them.

4. Breeding

Breeding is yet another issue affecting dogs in the UK (and especially Staffies). Anyone that works in rescue will tell you that at least 50% of dogs in rescue are Staffies or Staffy crosses. This is a result of unscrupulous, irresponsible people breeding them as they think they’ll make quick money. What they fail to realise is that these dogs are overbred. Our dog rescues are full to bursting because of people’s greed, and dogs are losing their lives every day. Just one pair of Staffies can produce 64,000 more over a period of four years. Because of this, approximately 68 Staffies are killed every day in the UK; that is around 480 every week, 2,083 a month, and 25,000 every year. This needs to be stopped. Breeding of Staffies should be made illegal for the next ten years, and breeding of any dog should be regulated so this may be done only with a licence. Anyone found guilty of breeding dogs without a Government licence should be subject to harsh penalties.

5. Puppy Farms

The final point I would like to raise is regarding puppy farms. Puppy farms are premises used exclusively for breeding and can house up to 200 dogs, locked inside 24 hours a day with no access to fresh air or natural light. The dogs are forced to give birth, sleep, eat, defecate and urinate in the same enclosed little pen, and the general health of the dogs and puppies is terrible. The puppies are sold on to pet shops and this is animal cruelty for the sake of making money, and should not be allowed to happen in the UK. I believe that puppy farms should all be shut down and the whole disgraceful industry made illegal.

I very much hope that these points are taken on board during your inquiry.

June 2012