An American's view on the UK's dangerous dogs act.....

[Bullseye]

This is a good article I found on the web by a Pit Bull Terrier Enthusiast from Washington, USA, By the name of Diane Jessup.

Diane Jessup is the author of The Working Pit Bull, The Dog Who Spoke With Gods, and co-author of Colby's Book of the APBT. She created and runs the LawDogs program, putting pit bulls in law enforcement agencies as narcotics and explosives detection dogs.

I have adapted this article from the page on Diane Jessup's working pit bull website.

THE BULLDOG IN THE UK

The British Fighting Bulldog In His Homeland

Perhaps the cruelest betrayal of all those the pit bulldog has suffered at the hands of man, has come at the government and people of the United Kingdom.

Despite the fact that "Kennel Club" breeds continue to bite, maul and even kill its citizens, Her Majesty's Government sees fit to "protect" them by banning four "foreign" dog breeds- in leu of enacting sensible laws holding owners accountable for their actions as dog owners. The government banned Dogos, Filas, Tosas and "American" pit bulls -all breeds with no Kennel Club support. One can get a feel for just how ludicrous this ban was when one considers that at the time of its passing there were NO dogos or filas in the country, and only one, gentle, old tosa!

As a result of the Dangerous Dog Act, hundreds of innocent dogs of dozens of breeds and crossbreeds were rounded up and either destroyed or sterilized and sentenced to a life muzzle and confined, despite how gentle they were. The real cause of "dangerous dogs" - the owners - were not addressed in a meaningful manner.

How ironic it is that the UK has chosen to viciously turn upon a breed of dog they not only developed, but chose, at one time, to represent the courage and fighting spirit of their country. I think it is very appropriate that they now choose to use the showbred Kennel Club "bulldog" - a sickly, malformed, blundering and useless shadow of its former self - to represent the British "spirit" of today.

I love the UK. I am English. I have dear friends there. I have met many animal control officers there and seen their disgust with the DDA, and their very real affection for the breeds afflicted. The pit bull still survives today in the UK despite the best efforts of mercinary individuals such as veterinarian Jane Robson and metro police officer Evans to destroy them. These two make their living by lying and deception - trying to befriend pit bull owners so that they can then betray them. I have spoken with both these individuals, and they are below contempt; they take money to lie, causing the death of many friendly, innocent dogs.

I say - WAKE UP United Kingdom! They've taken your guns, and now your dogs. What next? (And as an American I have to remark that having taken your guns - it certainly is far easier to take your dogs!)
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The Pit Bull In The United Kingdom:

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE
UNITED KINGDOM?

The United Kingdom. At one time, the undeniable home of the staunchest men on earth as proven beyond question in the trenches of W.W.I and over the skies of London in W.W.II. Gallant, never-say-die men, who honored courage above life itself. Men like Nelson who died game protecting a realm upon which the sun never set. And men like Churchill, of whom it can honestly be said that he may have been Arthur Pendragon himself, returned as promised to save England (and Western civilization) at its time of greatest need. Churchill, whose stout form and dead-game attitude made him synonymous with bull-baiting dogs.

The United Kingdom. A country which - right or wrong - developed the most courageous animals on earth. Other countries played at developing baiting and fighting animals, but it took the people of the UK to produce game fowl, bulldogs and terriers like no others on earth. How many breeds today owe what depth of courage and determination they have to these island bred animals? While America has become the adoptive homeland of both the English gamecock and the English fighting bulldog, no serious historian would deny that the "American gamecock" and the "American pit bull" are, to the marrow of their bones, products of the British Isles.

A friendly pit bull on its way to death row thanks to the likes of veterinarian Jane Robson and Metro police officer PC Dave Evans. These two, despite telling me they knew next to nothing about the breed, are now considered the governments top "experts", and Jane makes a tidy living sending dogs like this one to its death. (This one sure looks vicious, doesn't it!?) You can see to the right a fire extinguisher placed near for the protection of the "humane"
officer! To those who REALLY know this breed, could anything be more ludicrous or sad?

The United Kingdom today? Plainly spoken, the country has lost everything it once stood for. It stands, a sad example of a once proud society which is now content to enact knee-jerk legislation to situations which instead require intelligent study. A society where the dogs Brits were once proud to compare their greatest men to, now deny them totally in their hour of need. It is as if the very traits of courage, gameness and tenacity which once defined a nation, are now repugnant to the descendants of this bold race.

And what to think of a society where "English" dogs are afforded full protection but so-called "American" dogs are hunted down and destroyed no matter how harmless and gentle they may be. An English bull terrier belonging to Princess Anne may run amok in a public park, biting humans with impunity, and Kennel Club registered breeds may kill humans, but these incidents are largely ignored. Does British society sleeps more soundly at night, knowing that lying, sneaking, veterinarians, "humane" officers and police officers - agents of the government - are busy tracking down gentle, innocent family pets which, based on their appearance, must be ferreted out to face persecution and often certain death?

A once proud society has stooped so low that it now places the blame for the careless and often antisocial behavior of dog owners upon the animal which are victims themselves of this social ill. When dangerously violent youths use dogs as weapons, the police ignore the owners and carefully track down and punish with death not only the dogs abused by these criminals, but all dogs which resemble them as well!

Britons were once proud to compare their prime minister to a fighting bulldog, standing fearless against all danger, relentless, dangerous to the enemy and game to the death. To what breed might today's prime ministers and cabinet be compared? A pet corgi? A slinking, heel nipping border collie? Perhaps a lady's lap spaniel? This question will persist until a prime minister and cabinet come along which will right this wrong to the very symbol of England - the dog of John Bull. They appear content to allow the British, Welsh and Irish pride, courage and fighting spirit which made their grandfathers legend, slip away. I'm an American - but I am proud of my British Isles heritage. That's why I fight to remove this sad and unfortunate blot from United Kingdom history.

[mayhem]

great post bullseye and 1 of the best things ive read on the dda mate love dianes site and colbys a decent guy always takes the time to answer emails etc and hes from welsh lines too lol

[LeighandApple]

Great post John, I've been a van of Diane for along time. So many sad truths about Britain, describes our government down to a tee I think :evil: .

[celticpitbulls]

i think the real reason for the bully breeds been targeted is due to the history of dog fighting.. unfortunately dog fighting still very much happening today and our main reasons for this is because of people such as JP Colby and his son Louis Colby.. The pit bull was once Americas sweetheart breed, and was the first breed to ever live in the white house, but where did this all go wrong? it went wrong when people like JP Colby and many like him begun take a breed and use it' as gambling tools against each other. these kind of people believe that they took the pit bull and turned it into the breed it is today, what a load of bull. this breed was well knowing for their loyalty strength, courage and most of all the love this breed had for humans. this was the start of the general public fear of the bully breeds and its downfall today.

what really bothers me about the banning of breeds is that all dogs regardless of their breed all have the same physiology ans the only thing that separates them is performance, our problem is that banning breeds will never stop children being attacked as any breed has an equal pretensile to attack in the wrong hands. when i say in the wrong hands i dont only mean the irresponsible owners like the tugs etc, i regard to the uneducated owner. people getting dogs and not understanding the responsibility involved especially when they own children.