U.K Pit owner needs advice !

Hi everybody ,
new to this . Ive been looking for somebody to talk to for ages. I have a seven year old dog , his name is Oliver !
On the 1st of january a little girl in liverpool was killed by a ' pit bull type terrier ' . Since then there has been mass hysteria in the tabloids , they are calling for all of our dogs to be killed . In the uk it is illegal to breed Pits , tosas , dogue de bordeaux and cant remember the last one , however if you have them you can keep them . I am a responsible dog owner . My dog is a beautiful , kind , gentle and loving boy . He is neutered ( made me do it at 6 mnths ) , microchipped , insured , excercised and most importantly adored ! The police have been seizing dogs since the incident happened .
I am terrified , he is as much a part of our family as my four children are , what do i do if they try to take him ? Tried to read up on the rules but they are very contradictory . I WILL NOT LET THEM TAKE HIM .
yours hopefully
ollly

"if you have men who will exclude any of gods creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity , you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men " st francis of assisi , patron saint of animals.

 

Well I understand your devotion for your dog but If the police come and you have no condradicting papers or no evidence that your dog may not be pitbull there is nothing you can do. In all honesty you shouldnt have really got the dog since of the DDA 1991 but whats done is done. Try reading up on the DDA Amendment 1997

 

wow i feel for you,assuming you live in a fairly populated area would it be possible to leave the dog with friends maybe down the country with less chance of being seen for a couple of weeks because im sure this will die down, im sure the reason the police are seizing these dogs has more to do with public perception of them and responding to the media hype than actually their fears for public safety so once the media stop talking about these dogs my bet is things return to normal,hopefully anyway, well gud look and keep us posted

 

this animal should be out of the city where it can live without all the stress to the family...what good is it ..hiding and knowing that someday some way someone is going to find you out and the price to pay in many ways far surpasses the temporary pain you will endure to get the dog out of the house and area now .....preferably beyond the reach of the hysterical eyes that are now aiming to spot the pitbull for a nice lil pat on the back.... that type of hysteria is what made hitler so darn successful..he got all the peoples all started up and that made them move on.... hoping the opposite effect happens here in my area where as they all get riled up and fight the bsl probability that the govt will be voting on the rules and regs are ridiculous they are trying to put on us , so that we either give up our dogs or pay very very hefty price for owning one ... good luck in your persuit of keeping your family member...however, think it over as if found , he will be taken away to die.. if you remove him he lives ... your choice good luck..

 

Didnt set out to have a pitbull. We were told he was a staffie / mastiff cross , but as he started to grow we could see that wasnt true.We did everything legal but the vets were divided 50 50 some say he is, some say he isnt. Problem is they have started taking them even if they look like an apbt , most of them dont have a clue what an apbt actually looks like. I will try to find a good photo and you can see what you think , only if u wanna .

ollly

thanks for taking the time to reply .

 

Thankyou for replying , i know what you mean it feels a bit like a nazi hunt ( no disrespect to anybody ). Wish everybody here would stop and think before they decided that these dogs are inherently evil , they are not . Unfortunately most people seem to believe what they read , unless im imagining things. Gonna do what you and irishpit say . Gonna wait for a bit and see if the hype does die down if not my parents live by the sea in a rural place in scotland and have offered to take him , they love him as much as us , to them hes just a fifth child ! He isnt actually treated like a child , as i think that causes problems , we just talk about him like that ! thankyou , ollly

 

You stated that a person is not allowed to breed 'these' dogs, due to it being against the law. However you also stated that once/if you already have one, then that is ok, and you're allowed to keep them. Not sure how accurate that is. For your sake and the sake of your dog, I HOPE that is true. Not sure what to say except that yeah, I've been reading how the media has been having a field day "destroying" the "pit bull" since that unfortunate incident/accident, and unless it is actually against the law now, to own an APBT, or any "pit bull" for that matter, then basically, you may be out of luck. If, however there is a clause that states that you can own your dog, as you stated, then I would contact a lawyer to see what your actual rights as an owner are, and deal with a possible seizure if it comes to that. I would think you could contest a seizure, if the law so states that prior ownership is acceptable, but if were in your shoes, I'd get that in writing and seek legal assistance.

Best of luck. I HATE BSL...

 

thanks for replying suki . That is good advice im gonna go see a lawyer this coming week. In the uk a couple of months ago two rotties took a five month old out of her crib and killed her , only marginal fuss about that though . I HATE BSL too because thats what they are doing here. Drunk drivers mow down and kill children everyday yet nobody calls for the banning of all cars . The man who owned that dog should be held responsible not our beautiful dogs . ollly

 

The "grandfather law" was in effect.
( if you got one when DDA hit the islands you was allowed to keep a NEUTERED, REGISTERED, LEASHED & MUZZLED IN PUBLIC dog !!!!)

In anycase, if that dog of yours isn't atleast 15 years old ( remember DDA came in effect in "91 ), your in deep water and shit could hit the fan if 1 of your friendly neighbours decides to drop a dime on you.

No sugarcoating around it mate, bottomline is...your fucked if ya can't show proof that he ain't a "pitbull" .

 

stories:

http://www.sunderlandtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1107&ArticleID=1971867


http://www.k9magazine.com/viewarticle.php?sid=15&aid=1750&vid=0&npage
=
yup!

"The temperaments of pit bull type dogs vary significantly since a dog’s genetics (breed) has very little to do with its behaviour. Research shows that this is influenced most by the dog’s owner, the environment it lives in and the training it is given. In the wrong hands, any breed of dog can be dangerous - the number of dog attacks by breeds other than those on the dangerous dogs list, illustrates this. Similarly, any dog that has been trained by its owner appropriately and sufficiently should not be outlawed or destroyed based on its breed alone". ​

​

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/display.var.1119477.0.scared_owners_dump_danger_dogs.php​

 

Staffies are not banned?? just pitbulls?? Here in canada when the ban was put on in Ontario, it was American Pitbull Terriors, American Staffordshire Terriors and Staffordshire Bull terriors. Are you saying if your dog was a staffordshire he would not be banned??

 

yep thats true aceman staffs are not banned nor are english bull terriers . This countrys laws do not make any sense at all !!!
thanks for replying ollly

 

i will be fighting that vote here .... however, if it does pass , my babies will leave town.. no way am i letting them take my dogs without giving them a chance to prove they are more than what them meatheads out there make of thier own dog.. they will probably be texas bound.. i got lots of family and lots of connections with horse farmers ..they will have land and luxury so i wont be too sad if i gotta let them go....long as they are allowed a long happy life ..im good with that... its them that matter ....i will go on with or without them..they cant go on if i am selfish enough to keep them when the cops come for them..this state unfortunately is like that.. gonna do my best to get the signs up all over and flyer and petitions.. my babies are best off in my hands .. but, in the case that it can not be.. im giving them a life worth living with some loving new parents to keep them till they old and ready to go.....

 

damn straight!

 

moveon.org


get in there and make a statement.. they really jump on worthy causes.. perhaps if eachone of us does it and our friends they can see how much it means to us..if you got a myspace, craigslist, kangroo.com group on yahoo. msn.. sparkpea..or any other mass media take the time today to make it known that not only bulldogs are involved..but the right of every american to own property of choice is being taken away thru that guardianship of the govt over our companion bullydog!!

 

Brilliant Suki , thankyou very much for taking the trouble to post back and look for and attach those links ! I cant believe people are just dumping their animals , the thought makes me go cold . Some really good advice there thankyou. Ollly

 

If they bring in more amendments to the dangerous dogs act here and decide that we can keep them no longer , then he will go to scotland to live with his human granparents , who also adore every inch of him !!
Gonna try and do something about it though , people need to be educated as to why this is wrong , they read the gutter press and believe , morons !!
Gonna try and team up with a dog trainer i know and give dog safety talk to kids at schools round here . They dont do that here and if nobodys gonna bother then i will . My children are great with him and know how to behave around all dogs ! thanks ollly

 

Hi Suki , trying to get pic of Oliver from my pictures on puter to here , donno how to do it , havent had it long anyway found this poem thought you would all like it , got it from a sheffield forum on pit bulls . BEWARE made me cry every time i looked at it ! Then i am a bit soft...


Twas the night before christmas,
and the shelter is dark ,
the whole place is silent not even a bark,

The dogs are all locked in their pens for the night,
the staff have gone home and turned off the light,

As i lay my head down on the cold concrete floor,
i fondly recall my home from before,

The family i loved ,
who loved me right back,
wed share everything , from secret to snack.

Things couldnt be better this time last year,
but that has all changed and now i am here.

I wont see the tree the lights or the snow,
im scared and alone , my spirits are low.

The others like me werent put up for adoption,
a new family and home for us isnt an option.

Weve been locked up in cells as if we were crooks,
we dont deserve homes because of our looks.

Not Diesel , Bingo nor the young one named Percy,
deserve to be loved or shown any mercy.

While families celebrate holiday cheer,
i know in my heart that my end is near.

The vet will arrive, the lights will go on,
by the time you awake we will all be gone.

A stranger will come and take us away,
we will never wake to see a new day.

As i close my eyes , ill shed you a tear,
the fondest of memories ill always keep near

The only thing i want from santa claus ,
is to stop these unfair and ridiculous laws.

You said without me your life was not full,
so why does it matter that im a "pit bull"?

In my dreams santa shouts when hes finished his deed,

" MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL,
REGARDLESS OF BREED "

Crying again ! didnt think ,youve probably already read this as it seems to have been written by an american . My apologies if thats the case ! Ollly

" The greatness of society can be judged by the way it treats its animals"
Mahatma Ghandi