- Target:
- rottweilers, pit bull terriers etc
- Region:
- United Kingdom
The government has taken several steps to try to crack down on those who breed and trade dangerous dogs, as well as those who own them.
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is the most prominent of the various laws that cover dog ownership in the UK.
The act bans the breeding and sale or exchange of four kinds of dog - pit bull terriers, Japanese Tosas, the Dogo Argentinos, and the Fila Brasileiros. Cross-breeds of those dogs are covered by the law.
The dangerous dogs Act 1991 states 'to enable restrictions to be imposed in relation to other types of dog which present a serious danger to the public;'
[25th July 1991]
Rottweilers were the number two breed of dog named in fatal human attacks from 1979 to 1998 in a report by the CDC. Dangerous behavior in Rottweilers results from their original breeding for aggressive guard dog traits. This tendency may extend towards other animals as well. Often injuries and maulings occur when an owner or passerby tries to separate fighting dogs, or unintentionally triggers a guarding behavior in a dog. In most cases, the type of behavior a Rottweiler exhibits is the result of past training (or lack thereof).
Rottweilers may either be dangerous or benign, depending on the action taken by the owner in socializing the dog. The portrayal of Rottweilers as evil dogs in several fictional films and TV series, most notably in The Omen, has added to their negative publicity. Rottweilers are banned in many municipalities, some scattered countries, and are sometimes targeted as dangerous dogs by legislation. Many owners of Rottweilers are forced to obey state leash/muzzle laws, as in Germany and in France.
Examples of the breed’s potential danger are provided by the recent deaths of two infants on 29 December 2007 – a 9 week old girl in Melbourne, Australia, and a one year old boy in Wakefield, England.
In the Melbourne death, a rottweiler that regularly showed his aggressive nature by violently barking and jumping at the fence as people walked by his master’s house, took the family’s first born from her cot and mauled her to death.
In the Wakefield death, the one year old baby was being held by a seven year old girl when the rottweiler bitch grabbed him from the girl's arms and then mauled him, inflicting terrible injuries. The victim died at the local hospital a short time later. The family owning the dog, reportedly told police she had not previously shown any signs of aggression.
I am starting this petition to request that the rottweiler breed also be added to this list. These dogs are bred to kill... they're highly dangerous, manipulative, clever and territorial, and are bred for a specific purpose.
There's thousands of breeds of dogs - and no argument in the world will make me think that these breeds of dog are suitable for domestic pets.
They simply aren't. In the same way as you wouldn't keep a wolf as a pet - this breed is NOT suitable as a household pet.
We hear of the killings in the tabloids and on the news - what you don't hear so often are the stories of random attacks - which, we are now told, happen daily.
Attacks by rottweilers in the past year have resulted in children being maimed and killed by this breed of dog including 5 month old Cadey Lee Deacon and 14 month old Archie Lee Hirst.
People may argue that any dog can bite, this is true but not many dogs are as strong or powerful as a rottweiler. According to FCI standard, the Rottweiler stands 61 to 68 cm (24-27 inches) at the withers for males, and 56 to 63 cm (22-25 inches) for females.[1] Average weight is 50 kg (110 pounds) for males and 42 kg (95 pounds) for females.
I believe that these dogs are a dangerous breed and I'd like them to be phased out as domestic pets in the UK.
Please sign this petition below if you feel the same.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Ban aggressive dog breeds in the UK petition to rottweilers, pit bull terriers etc was written by lisa sheldon and is in the category Children's Rights at GoPetition.