BVA logo
Scottish XL Bully Ban- Statement From The Dog Control Coalition
4 months ago 
295 views
The Dog Control Coalition- comprising Blue Cross, Battersea, British Veterinary Association, Dogs Trust, Hope Rescue, PDSA, RSPCA, Scottish SPCA, The Kennel Club and USPCA - has issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement by the Scottish Government that it’ll add the American XL Bully to list of banned dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act in Scotland:
“We are concerned about the rise in dog related incidents and steps must be taken to protect the public, but we do not believe that banning any type or breed of dog will stop these types of incidents from occurring.
“It's therefore deeply disappointing that the Scottish Government is following the same path as the UK Government. A complete overhaul of the existing dog control legislation is the only way to tackle the root causes of the tragic incidents we have seen in recent years. Both Governments must urgently take steps to deal with the unscrupulous breeders who are putting profit before welfare, and the irresponsible owners whose dogs are dangerously out of control.
“It’s critical that any policy designed to protect public safety is based on robust evidence and we are deeply concerned about the lack of data behind this policy decision in Scotland, and its potential to prevent dog bite incidents. There is still no clear understanding of how many tens of thousands of dogs could be impacted by this ban across the UK.
“We urge the Scottish Government to learn the lessons from the rushed implementation of the ban in England and Wales. It must make sure that there is a sufficient transition period, so that owners have the time and support needed to be able to exempt their dogs, and to ensure neutering capacity is available, and that the process is as clear and simple as possible for dog owners, vets and the rescue charities who will be left to pick up the pieces of this ill-considered legislation.
“It is also crucial that the teams responsible for enforcing this law have the resources and training they need before the ban begins to avoid any more dogs than absolutely necessary from being caught up in this.”
More from BVA
- British Veterinary Association responds to Government’s new food labelling proposals
- British Veterinary Association responds to Competition and Markets Authority’s review of the veterinary sector
- New legislation regulating primate pets is ‘a step in the right direction’
- #TimeForChange: BVA launches ‘Return to work’ toolkit to help tackle workforce issues
- New President elected for BVA Northern Ireland Branch and North of Ireland Veterinary Association
