Blue Cross’s letter to the editor of The Spectator following Dangerous Dogs Act article

Blue Cross has sent the following letter to the editor of The Spectator in response to the article ‘Get rid of the Dangerous Dogs Act and more people will die’, by Julia Lewis

Dear Editor,

National pet charity Blue Cross was extremely disappointed to read The Spectator’s article ‘Get rid of the Dangerous Dogs Act and more people will die’. The article misrepresents the facts and fails to take into account current animal welfare science and expert opinion which shows any breed of dog can be dangerous if in the wrong hands.  

We and other charities are campaigning to have section one of the Dangerous Dogs Act repealed because breed specification is failing to protect the UK public and leading to thousands of innocent dogs being put to sleep or kennelled unnecessarily every year.

Despite four types of dogs being banned under section one of the legislation, 21 people have been killed by non-banned breeds since 1991 and injuries caused by dog attacks have increased.

Meanwhile charities such as ours are not allowed under the law to rehome any dog which has been typed as section one. Our teams are faced with the devastating task of putting a healthy and innocent dog to sleep based simply on its appearance. 

Evidence presented to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee inquiry from multiple charity, veterinary and pet behavioural experts, has given clear evidence demonstrating that any breed of dog can be dangerous in the hands of the wrong owner.

Police, local authorities, the CWU and the NFU have all during the inquiry’s evidence sessions supported a review of the current Dangerous Dogs Act.

Blue Cross would welcome a more concise piece of Dangerous Dogs legislation which would be easier to enforce and allow police and local authorities to concentrate on the deed of the dog rather than the breed as under section three of the current legislation.

This would help them to focus on securing swifter prosecutions of irresponsible dog owners and ensure a consistent approach by police forces, local authorities and courts across the country. It would also stop the senseless deaths of thousands of innocent dogs who have not shown aggression and are condemned to death by looks alone.

Yours sincerely,

Becky Thwaites, Head of Public Affairs, Blue Cross