Hyped Tripe Uk South East

[TessiesTracey]

What utter tripe.

More publicity hungry, small time 'news' websites looking to stir the pot.

BUT, read on viewers! IF you shop a 'banned' dog you could win a News Shopper mug!!!!! lol Sheesh... who're the mugs?

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/9263660.News_Shopper_launches_campaign_against_dangerous_dogs/

SHOP A DOG is News Shopper's new campaign to bring justice to the victims of dog attacks and help prevent further maulings across south-east London and north Kent

News Shopper is running a series of features on dangerous dogs and we need YOUR help to get the law changed to make our parks and neighbourhoods safer for everyone.

SHOP A DOG is News Shopper's new campaign to bring justice to the victims of dog attacks and help prevent further maulings across south-east London and north Kent.

According to NHS statistics, at least 163 people have been injured by dogs in the News Shopper area in the last two years, leaving some victims with horrific wounds while many irresponsible dog owners have got off scott free.

Over the next few weeks we'll be bringing you some harrowing stories involving victims as young as nine and as old as 90. We'll also be calling on you to Shop a Dog.

There are currently four types of banned dogs in the UK under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

These are: - pit bull terrier - Japanese tosa - dogo Argentino - fila Braziliero

It is illegal to breed from, sell, abandon or give away a banned dog. Whether your dog is a banned type depends on what your dog actually looks like, rather than the breed.

What happens if I am caught with a banned dog?

The police can seize your dog and keep it in kennels while applying for a court order. If the courts decide your dog is a banned type, you get a criminal record with a possible £5,000 fine and/or a six month prison sentence.

This process can take months if not years as experts argue whether a dog is a banned type or not. Meanwhile the dogs are locked up in kennels at a huge cost to the taxpayer.

What happens if I am attacked by a perfectly legal dog in the owner's home?

Nothing. Under current law this is not a crime - leaving people such as postmen and social workers extremely vulnerable.

What happens to owners whose perfectly legal dogs attack people in public?

They can be charged with 'allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place' and, if convicted, jailed for up to two years.

What happens to owners whose legal dogs attack other pets?

The owner can be sued in a county court for the damages caused.

Are Staffordshire bull terriers banned?

No. Despite at least five Staffordshire bull terrier attacks in the News Shopper area in the last three years, they are legal and don't need a muzzle in public.

WHAT WE WANT

- Increase the sentence for owning a banned dog - in line with carrying a knife.

- Extend the law to include dog attacks on private land - therefore protecting workers such as postmen and carers.

- Increase the prison sentences for owners convicted of allowing their dog to attack humans.

- Force all Staffordshire Bull Terriers to wear a muzzle in public.

- Simplify the court process so that banned dogs can be destroyed immediately.

SHOP A DOG AND WIN A MUG

You can win yourself a free News Shopper mug by sending in a photo of a banned dog. All you need to do is email the image to [email protected] with your name, address, phone number and exact details of where you took the photo.

Alternatively post them to Shop A Dog, News Shopper, Mega House, Crest View Drive, BR5 1BT. We'll pass on all the images to the police.

Statistics from The NHS Information Centre

From May 2010 to April 2011 there were 30 admissions to Greenwich Teaching PCT for people bitten or struck by a dog - up two from the previous year.

[Chris the Rebel Wolf]

Whether your dog is a banned type depends on what your dog actually looks like, rather than the breed.

[Christina]

Considering the huge population there & the obviously high number of dogs the amount of attacks is probably lower, in proportion, than we get here in Australia in many places.

Doubt that many would take this silly offer up. They are reasonably dog tolerant in general & at least some idiot breaking into your home who gets bitten by your dog can't sue you. 3 of the dogs on the banned list are not dogs most people would ever own anyway.

Rough on the other bull breeds though as usual. This stupid idea will fade away.

[coogie]

That photo of the dog with the bloody id tags below is disgusting,total sensationalism.

I had the misfortune to live on the border of Greenwich for 4 years,most of the dogs that are a problem in that area are not staffordshire bull terriers at all. They are back yard bred bull type mixes,bred by the English equivalent of bogans, then other young thugs buy them/trade them for drugs. They bait the dogs to make them aggressive - because they like the "respect" they get when they have a snarling ,lunging,totally over the top dog, usually decked out in a studded leather harness.

They live in Council flats, no yard /garden so the only exercise the dogs get is when they are hanging about the street corners with their idiotic owners; being teased by the other local "yoofs". It is heartbreaking to watch and I am surprised the number of bites is that low. I know this sounds like a snobbish generalisation but it really is the situation there,once again an owner problem - not a dog problem. There is a part 2 on their site but I won't post the link here as there is a very graphic photo of a bite.

I don't usually comment in these threads but this made my blood boil. Rant over.