Description
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is widely regarded as one of the worst pieces of kneejerk legislation on the statute books. Passed by Parliament in an astonishingly short space of time in response to a number of horrific dog attacks on people, it sought to end such attacks by outlawing dogs that had been bred for fighting, and named a number of breeds and types to be completely banned.
From the moment it came into force the BVA and many other organisations have been campaigning for the Act to be repealed, particularly the infamous ‘Section 1’ which bans pit bull terrier types and others dog regardless of the character or behaviour of the individual dog.
In this webinar BVA’s President Elect Robin Hargreaves will look in some detail at the Act highlighting what it means for vets in practice and their clients, pointing out where the major problems lie, and outlining some of the potential solutions being suggested by the BVA, animal welfare charities and the police.
Robin will look at some of the recent developments in the devolved countries of the UK who are trying to move away from ‘breed-specific legislation’ and towards a more preventive approach to tackling so-called dangerous dogs.
He will also draw on the BVA’s guidance for vets which has been developed recently by the BVA’s Member Services Group in conjunction with legal experts.
The webinar is part of the series of political and contentious issue webinars led by the British Veterinary Association in partnership with The Webinar Vet. Participants are invited to continue the debate in the BVA’s online community at www.bva.co.uk/community