Do you think they will extend the DDA? BSL

Do you think the DDA will be extended to cover Staffordshire Bull Terriers?
What will it mean for the breed if they do?

NO they wouldn't dare because it would affect far too many people, and those people are VOTERS!
Becky

Im not too sure :?

If they did, would it mean muzzling them in public and never letting them off lead, or would there be more to it than that? :-(

i hope not, china stays on lead anyway as she goes deaf off lead!

but people vote and there are a lot of staffy owners out there........

And Labour wants to get in next term (not that they ever got my vote).
Becky

I don't think so, as they specifically exclude them from the "types" in dda literature.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/domestic/ddogsleaflet.pdf

I don't think they will extend the DDA to Staffordshire Bull Terriers - But I have a very bad feeling the DDA could well be ammended yet again to cover breeds in the UK that have no 'real or official' recognition...

Could it be amended to say some dogs must be muzzled when out but not to actually ban the breed???
I just wondered if that was a path the government may follow. It was a worrying thought.

Can't see that happening either, if they are going to extend the DDA to include other breeds it's as I say going to be the ones frequently used amongst dogfighters that have no official recognition...That means we could loose the AB, Presa, Corso and quite possibly Irish Stafford...:-(

Taken from the dda literature as to what other dogs may be affected and why. Not very comforting.

Not that im gonna be voting Labour!!

Me Neither!
Becky

The DDA was a law bought in by a Conservative government in 1991. When Labour came to power in 1997 they amended it so the mandatory destruction of prohibited dogs was removed and instead each case has to be decided on it's own merits by a court.

Lord Baker (Conservative peer and the one who was behind the original DDA in 1991 when he was just Kenneth Baker MP) is the only person I've heard calling for the DDA to be extended to other breeds. He wants to see Dobies, Rotties and GSDs on the list and all dogs to be muzzled in public.

Not saying Labour are perfect shock: heaven's No), just thought I'd express my point of view that their main alternative is arguably less dog-friendly ;-)

I can't see it happening in my life time

the dda, like the fool who thought it up, is a joke! all these "pit bull types" all where derived from the KC staffy! so how can the foundation breed for the so called "pit bull type" not be included? well as stated above thay are owned by lots and lots of voters! plain and simple! the goverment have to bring back a real dog licence!

I have to say, after the last few days, I am now beginining to think they may extend the DDA even temporarily,until another, more adequate law is in force. Perhaps, more worryingly, they may be more strict about enforcing the DDA and about what covers and constitutes a 'pit bull type'. Another 14 dogs were seized in an industrial estate in Liverpool yesterday. It seems to be going from bad to worse.

Apparently some 40 dogs have been seized now, so it makes you wonder how the police 'suddenly' know where all the fighting dogs are.
Becky

It said on the news that members of the public were reporting where the dogs were being kept.

I hated seeing those poor dogs on the news in the crates I'm just getting sick of hearing it.

and I really hope they don't start making certain breeds muzzled out in public, for alot of dogs that could really affect them. My boy is a good dog but hates the restriction of head collars etc I can only imagine if he had to be muzzled for no reason what that would do to him.

It feels as though things are getting to be near on hysteria and I'm just staying away from hearing so much about it...I know what's going on and that's all I need to know but it's like everything which becomes the hot topic is just over talked about until it makes a big panic out of the whole situation.

Like with everything that happens to do with dogs I will just try even harder to have well behaved dogs.