Press Release
Deputy Mayor calls for action on weapon dogs
9-11-2009 560
Urgent action is needed to tackle the growing proliferation of aggressive weapon dogs on the capital's streets, Kit Malthouse, Deputy Mayor for Policing, said today.
Kit Malthouse hosted a City Hall summit with the Met Police, the RSPCA and senior representatives from across London’s 32 boroughs to discuss how to deal with increasing numbers of weapon dogs - some of which are being used by gang members and in serious crime.
Figures show the number of Pit Bull dogs seized by the police shot up by 65 per cent in the last year, while court cases involving dangerous dog offences rose by 50 per cent between 2006 and 2007. In the last five years, London's hospitals have seen admissions for dog bites increase by 79 per cent, compared to 43 per cent nationally.
Evidence collected from a wide range of agencies, including the Metropolitan Police and animal welfare groups, indicates a huge increase in the number of weapon dogs in London compared with other cities in the UK and a rise in the problem of irresponsible dog ownership.
These dogs are increasingly being used in serious crime and as weapons for intimidation amongst gang members. In particular, there has been an increase in the number of young people owning these dogs, as well as a rise in attacks on young people using weapon dogs.
A further problem associated with dangerous dogs is the destruction of trees by the animals which are trained to strengthen their jaws by attacking the barks of trees in local parks.
Kit Malthouse said:
‘There is a new weapon of intimidation terrorising the streets of London. Using a weapon dog is no different to using a gun or a knife to attack, maim and even kill. More and more people are choosing specific types of breeds as their weapon of choice and choosing them for a reason. Certain types of dogs are inherently more aggressive than others. At the top of the list are bull breeds, developed for one purpose: to attack and fight. It is no longer valid to look solely for solutions which rely on responsible ownership; there is something in the dogs which must be considered.
Sgt Ian McParland, Head of the Metropolitan Police Service’s Status Dogs Unit, said:
‘It is a sad fact that criminals are deliberately misusing dogs to threaten and intimidate people and commit crime. I know this is of great concern to Londoners and my unit is working extremely hard to tackle this problem. Together with officers from across the Met, including those working on Operation Blunt, we have conducted a great many operations to seize dogs and arrest people using dogs in this way.
‘Since its inception, the Status Dogs Unit has seized over 680 dogs from London's streets suspected of being illegal, dangerous or both. We also work very closely with RSPCA, councils and others to encourage responsible dog ownership and share information.’
Claire Robinson, Government Relations Manager at the RSPCA, said:
‘The RSPCA is greatly concerned about dogs being used as weapons by irresponsible owners. We are committed to working in partnership with the police, councils and the Mayor to jointly tackle the problems associated with status dogs such as animal cruelty and anti social behaviour.
‘The rise in status dogs has significantly impacted on our resources - from animal centres and vets to our inspectors. This is primarily in major cities but especially in London.
‘We believe action needs to be taken on two fronts. Firstly partnership approaches to tackle the immediate problems to better protect animals and humans and secondly an overhaul of the legislation to ensure more effective and proportionate response to the issue.’
Leader of Wandsworth Council, Edward Lister, said:
‘We are not anti-dog because we know the vast majority of dog owners are responsible. However, there needs to be a method by which the owners of stray or dangerous dogs can be traced and dealt with and the best way to do this is to have these pets chipped and registered.’
Ends
Notes to Editors
1.The meeting with representatives from London’s 32 boroughs took place at City Hall on Monday 9 November.
2. Other speakers on the panel, chaired by Kit Malthouse, were Claire Robinson, Government Relations manager at the RSPCA, Sgt Ian McParland,Head of the Metropolitan Police Service’s Status Dogs Unit, Mark Callis, Head of Dog Control Unit, Wandsworth Council and Kay Foley, Animal Welfare Officer, Lewisham Council.
3. Bull breeds now account for 47% of the dogs homed at Battersea Cat and Dog Home. This is almost double the proportion 5 years ago.
4. Young males aged 20-24 account for the greatest proportion of those accused of dangerous dogs offences.
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