Breed-specific legislation in the UK is under review. The Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991 is considered ineffective by a wide variety of government officials and animal organizations. The problem is determining the new direction for the legislation.

The reason this type of legislation doesn’t work is because it targets the dogs based on breed profiling. In reality, the owner holds the key to their dog’s behavior. Irresponsible owners lead to dangerous dogs, whether they are 2-pound Chihuahuas or 80-pound pit bulls.

A number of organizations, including Animal Legal Defense Fund in the US, believe the answer is within a community that adopts “responsible laws that focus on the behavior of individual dogs and their guardians, not their breed.”

Banning one breed doesn’t solve the problem. Another breed will be chosen and legislation will have to be modified to accommodate the new breed. The cycle continues until we are left without any legal dog breeds or improvements to public safety. Additionally, breed-specific legislation is also costly to enforce.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the results of a report they compiled regarding the Dangerous Dogs Act. Of those surveyed, 88 percent believe the law is ineffective. And 63 percent feel that extending the law to dictate what dogs are allowed on private property is not acceptable.

A new law is needed. But instead of repeating the mistakes of the past and outlawing dog breeds, the UK should take this opportunity to focus on the people who encourage their dogs to act dangerously.

Photo  Credit: Pete Markham