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"Dangerous" Dog Ban Becomes Law

And here's why that's the wrong decision...

Author

Bryan Reisberg
September 21, 2023

The UK Bans The XL Bully Dog Breed

The Ban

Rishi Sunak, The Prime Minister of the UK, announced last week that the American XL bully will be banned in the UK by the end of the year after a spate of serious attacks, some fatal, in recent years. It will be the first breed to be added to the prohibited list under the Dangerous Dogs Act since the law was introduced in 1991.

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The Dog Control Coalition – which is made up of the RSPCA, Battersea, Blue Cross, the Dogs Trust, the British Veterinary Association, the Scottish SPCA, the Kennel Club and Hope Rescue – have opposed a ban on the breed and said they were “deeply concerned about the lack of data behind this decision.”

Banning dog breeds is like banning books or violent video games. It’s an absurd measure that has proved to fix absolutely nothing. The problem isn’t the breed, it’s irresponsible breeders and owners. So let’s dive in.

What is an American bully XL?

The XL is the largest of four types of American Bully: standard, pocket, classic and XL.

What other breeds are currently banned in the UK?

  • The Pitbull Terrier

  • The Japanese Tosa

  • The Dogo Argentino

  • The Fila Brasileiro

What happens if you have a banned breed in the UK?

The UK's chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss says there will not be a cull of American bully XLs, but the government will instead adopt an "amnesty" approach.

Owners will have to register their dogs and take certain actions, she says, adding: "Your dog will need to be neutered. It will need to be muzzled when out in public and on a lead and insured."

If owners comply with these actions then "yes, absolutely you will be able to keep your dog", she says. But many believe there will be no way to enforce this ban. Here’s a good video from The Times UK explaining why:

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American XL Bullies are overrepresented in dog attack statistics. Bully Watch - a UK group that tracks dog attacks by breed - reports so far this year, large bully-type dogs have been involved in 351 attacks, making up 43% of 2023's total dog attacks. They have been responsible for 11 confirmed human deaths since 2021 - as well as having suspected involvement in three other deaths.

via NationalWorld

Inaccurate Data

It is worth noting these numbers do not take into account the severity of attacks, and a wide variety of other breeds - usually not considered dangerous - also round out the list.

Bully Watch also acknowledges its data - while filling a knowledge gap - might be biased, as people nipped by a French bulldog are far less likely to post about it on places like Facebook or Nextdoor, where much of the data is sourced, or report it to authorities.

Mastiff breeds were involved in 28 attacks this year, huskies in 23, Rottweilers in 21, Labradors in 17, French bulldogs in 15, and greyhounds in 15.

Three pug attacks, a labradoodle attack, and a chihuahua attack also made the list. Bully Watch's full dataset can be found here. (via NationalWorld)

The Wrong Solution

A spokesman from the Dog Control Coalition told Yahoo, “Banning the breed will sadly not stop these types of incidents recurring. For 32 years, the Dangerous Dogs Act has focused on banning types of dog and yet has coincided with an increase in dog bites, and the recent deaths show that this approach isn’t working.”

The problem is NOT the breed, but the breeders who put profit before welfare, and the irresponsible dog owners whose dogs are dangerously out of control.

So then what are we supposed to do with a problem like this?

Here is a great list from the American Veterinary Medical Association with some better solutions:

  1. Enforcement of generic, non-breed-specific dangerous dog laws, with an emphasis on chronically irresponsible owners.

  2. Enforcement of animal control ordinances such as leash laws, by trained animal care and control officers.

  3. Prohibition of dog fighting.

  4. Encouraging neutering for dogs not intended for breeding.

  5. School-based and adult education programs that teach pet selection strategies, pet care and responsibility, and bite prevention

HERE is a petition to stop the ban, which is currently over half a million signatures.

Do you agree with the UK dog ban?

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The Internet’s Most Famous Cartoon Could Fetch $50,000 at Auction

This New Yorker cartoon has become one of the most recognizable jokes about the internet, and is the most-shared cartoon in the New Yorker’s century-long history.

What might seem like a relatively commonplace gag in today’s digital climate, this joke was from 1993. Cartoonist Peter Steiner was certainly ahead of his time, “I was surprised when they picked that one out of the batch,” Steiner said. “I thought it was a little bit lame.”

“I’d love to be able to say I saw this coming, but I didn’t,” Steiner said. “But with every new turn it just became more relevant. Now we’re looking at artificial intelligence. AI is like the ultimate internet dog.”

“Most people had never even used the internet in 1993. I certainly didn’t have a connection,” said Bob Mankoff, former cartoon editor for the New Yorker. “But I think part of its success comes from the fact that we’re all living in the world that that cartoon foreshadowed. There’s a way that a cartoonist’s antenna can sort of tap into the zeitgeist, and good cartoon compresses the message as simply as possible.”

The original drawing goes up for sale at the Heritage Auctions October 6th Illustration Art Auction. Heritage expects it to fetch up to $50,000. (via Gizmodo)

Overheard at a coffee shop:

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“They bite, they pee everywhere, and they never say thank you.”

“That’s why you don’t have dogs?”

“No, that’s why I don’t have kids.”

Starbucks, Boise, ID

“The Squeeze”: Dog News In 60 Seconds

Today’s Last Laugh:

¡ǝɹǝɥʇ ollǝɥ ɥo