Stuart's Dangerous Dogs survey
Responding to local concerns about dangerous dog attacks and RSPCA figures showing calls about dog fights rising 15-fold since 2006, Labour's Stuart King is proposing action to ease peoples' fears on this major worry. The Conservatives have responded with knee-jerk plans for a Dog Tax: a £500-per-pet bureaucratic dog-licensing scheme for any dog that could generally be classified as "menacing". That could cover almost all dogs as any abused dog is likely to become menacing if ill treated. Putney's Conservative MP has been following the line set for her by her council colleagues in parliament trying to get the Tories' Dog Tax into law. While the Tory council wants to be seen to be doing something, Stuart thinks it's more important to do something effective. Stuart said: "The big mistake the Tories are making is that it is not dogs that are the problem: it's the tiny minority of owners that either deliberately mistreat their pets or don't understand how to care for them. "There is also a growing body of evidence from the RSPCA, the Police and Dog Wardens about dogs being deliberately bred to be vicious - so that their owners can use them in illegal fights. "But the answer isn't more laws - and this problem certainly isn't an excuse for the Tories to sneak in a £500 Dog Tax. "It's about the Courts using the powers they have and continuing the success of Police Safer Neighbourhood teams in gathering local intelligence to root out the problem owners. "Above all else politicians need to grasp that the problem is not the law abiding, dog-loving majority: it's the abusive, neglectful minority. Come down hard on them out and we get safer streets." |
