3rd June 2009

Shocking Rise In Dog Fights

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Shocking new statistics show two-thirds of all dog fighting reports received by the RSPCA are now directly connected to youths using their dogs as weapons in streets and parks.

Sixty-six per cent of calls to the RSPCA about dog fighting last year related to instances where youths were mentioned fighting their animals in public places. This compares with 37 per cent in 2007.

The worrying rise in reports of impromptu public scraps and ‘rolls’ saw 188 people contact the RSPCA in 2008, compared with 132 the previous year. In 2004 the Society received just 24 calls about all dog fighting. The figures tie in with the increasing trend amongst teenagers and young males for using stereotypically macho-type dogs as weapons of intimidation in urban areas of England and Wales.

The figures were released ahead of the BBC Three documentary My Weapon Is A Dog which aired on 21st May (available on BBC iplayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00kmtl9/My_Weapon_Is_a_Dog and asked whether dogs have become the new weapon of choice on our city streets. The hour-long programme, highlighted the RSPCA’s growing concern for the welfare of animals such as bull terrier types and Rottweilers being used by gangs.

David Grant, Director of the RSPCA’s Harmsworth Animal Hospital in north London, said, “My staff are treating more dogs than ever for fight wounds and injuries sustained as a result of them being kept as status symbols by young people who think having a dog makes them look tough. I’ve had to treat dogs with stab wounds, broken bones and even cigarette burns to their heads. The torture some of these poor animals have suffered is simply horrific.”

The Society has again appealed for the Government to look closer at current dog legislation and put more emphasis of responsibility on the dog owners, rather than the animals.

“Things are worse now than when the Dangerous Dogs Act was passed 18 years ago and I’m seeing more status dogs coming in for treatment than ever. These latest figures only prove what the RSPCA’s inspectors and animal hospitals have suspected for a long time, that more and more people are using dogs as a means of intimidation,” added David.

London has emerged as a hot spot for people using dogs as status symbols. In 2005 there was not a single call to the RSPCA in the capital reporting impromptu dog fights in streets and parks. The same year there was just one report concerning youths with status dogs. By 2008 there were 77 and 45 respectively.

This is backed up by statistics from the Metropolitan Police Service which show that between April 2004 and April 2005, they seized 38 dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act, including banned types and those dangerously out of control. This compares to the period between April 2007 and 2008 when 719 dogs were seized by the Met.

The problem is far from being limited to London though. Areas including Merseyside, West Yorkshire, and the West Midlands have also seen a trend for young people using dogs to intimidate or attack other people and animals.

“A big part of the problem is indiscriminate breeding. People can charge anything up to £500 for a Staffie or Rottweiler puppy and not declare a penny of it. A lot of people see it as a quick and easy way to make money.

“I can’t claim to have the answer to all of this, and I don’t want to tar all young dogs owners with the same brush, but something has to be done to tackle what is more than just an issue of animal welfare,” said David.

Many of the status dogs treated by our animal hospitals have been abandoned by their owners when the novelty wears off and the responsibilities associated with owning a dog hit home. These dogs then end up in RSPCA animal centres that are already full with bull breeds, Rotweillers and mastiffs looking for homes with caring new owners.

RSPCA branch support advisor Becky Kenny said: “The sad reality is that there are too many of these status dogs being handed into rescue centres and the bad press they have also encountered means that even the most friendly family pet is finding it hard to find a home if they happen to be one of these breed types.”

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