1991 Dangerous Dogs Act...
A USPCA Perspective
We’ve had a Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) in Northern Ireland for 18 years.
It was brought in to control several types of dog, primarily the American pit bull and pit bull types.
There are currently more dogs deemed illegal under DDA in Ni than existed 1991..... Why?
Responsibility for applying the Dangerous Dogs Act was placed on the Dog Wardens. In 1991 this was a Cinderella service within the Councils. Illegal pit bulls types were primarily in the hands of paramilitaries. They were locally ‘untouchable’ no real effort was made to enforce the law and it fell by the wayside. The dog warden’s were focussed on applying the Dogs Order of 1983, an established and less contentious piece of legislation designed to control the number of unwanted and abandoned dogs on our streets.
Illegal pit bull and types in Northern Ireland fall into three distinct categories. Animals that are used for dog fighting or the wanton destruction of native wildlife; dogs bred and trained by drug dealers and the like to coerce communities and enforce their will; and family pets trapped within the rigid framework of the legislation.
The vile pursuit of dog fighting is an unmitigated evil. After a long and treacherous investigation the USPCA confronted our dog fighters by way of much acclaimed Panorama and Spotlight documentaries. The secretive world of dog fighting was exposed, its supporters named and shamed. This resulted in a dramatic reduction in the suffering of dogs specifically bred to kill and be killed and curtailment of the breeding of ‘enforcer’ dogs being exported to the UK on a weekly basis.
Our views on the travesty of badger persecution are well documented on this website. Many of the dogs used are ‘types’ illegal under the existing law. Living badgers are rent asunder and dogs maimed in the name of sport. In terms of animal welfare there are only losers. The USPCA regard badger persecution as a priority wildlife crime and we are committed to consigning this evil to the dark ages where it belongs.
Our third category is the technically illegal dog unwittingly kept as a family pet. We do not relegate it to last place on the basis of priority; however, we feel it is imperative the evils of dog fighting and wildlife crime are acknowledged and not airbrushed out of existence by a concern for the legal status of pets.
The Dangerous Dogs Act in England & Wales recognised the anomaly of many illegal dogs being kept as companion animals and a compromise was put in place in 1997. This provides owners prosecuted for ownership of a dangerous dog with a possible means of avoiding the animal’s destruction. If a magistrate is persuaded the animal lives as a companion and the owner will comply with the court requirements to have the animal neutered / speyed, micro-chipped, walked on a leash and muzzled etc. The dog can be registered and returned to it’s owner. This amendment has never applied to Northern Ireland. The sudden exposure of dog fighting in NI brought with a wave of disgust and indignation that began with the First Minister and reverberated throughout society. Several Councils were confronted by their shortcomings in applying the Dangerous Dogs Act, those that weren’t immediately criticised were fearful of exposure and began to ‘clean up’ their patch. Pets were seized and impounded, prosecutions ensued, appeals clogged the courts, so called experts parachuted in to confuse the Courts and pick up a fat fee for their services. To sum up the existing Dangerous Dogs Law needs a root and branch review and this is ongoing a fact confirmed by DARD Minister Michelle Gildernew MP MLA. The USPCA will have an input into the framing of any new law and we will ensure those who exploit dogs to satisfy their wickedness are the ones punished and not the family pet.
