Thanks for your answers guys. A lot of you have echoed what I've heard from people I've talked to. I do like staffies and dogs like them, but, apart from my husband's allergies, I don't think I could have one until BSL gets sorted. I couldn't bear the thought of my beloved pet being taken and killed like Lennox. But then on the other hand I agree with akitagirl that there are so many needing homes and I feel bad about that and would want to help...but then I think of my dog being ripped from me and it breaks my heart. The program has made me worry about Axel and being out in a muzzle in case someone reports him for being 'dangerous'.
It's getting so anti-dog in this country and it's scary

I wouldn't go out of my way to find one, but I would home one if it was in rescue and it was the right dog for us.

I know that rescues shouldn't be homing dogs which look "type" but they do fairly often and these dogs need responsible homes just as much as any other dog, if not more so. You run the relatively small risk of the dog possibly being seized, but you can make sure it's well socialised, has passed all of it's GCawards, is neutered and microchipped, etc. and hope that if it was ever noticed it was able to be exempted. If it couldn't be exempted then at least it lived an enriched life, rather than spending a lifetime in rescue, being PTS in rescue or falling into the wrong hands.

... but then I like bull breeds. If pekes were a banned breed then I wouldn't even consider it! (no offence dogsey peke owners, if there are any!)

in all honesty I doubt many people would mistake a proper staffy for a pbt.

Hmmm, not sure about that, when the BSL came in in the early nineties there were pedigree SBT's that were seized as being "off type ", even their KC pedigrees were no protection.
There's also that "job's worth " that's supposed to be an expert that seized the lab cross on the One Show.

I don't really "go" for dogs of "type" but if I did, then yes I would be completely put off as I'd simply be too concerned, living in fear that my dog might be taken off me ...

It's not worth it

Wys
x

after the one show i was reading some of the dda stuff on [a social network], and read about the collie cross stafiie that was PTS because he was classed as type, i have a sprollie x staff that if you look at the size of his head could be classed by some as of type, the legislation stinks, and as this thread proofs is killing dogs in many different ways, if people don't want to own them then ineviably they will end up PTS, i'm not saying that everybody should go out and own one of these dogs, but it would seem that a lot of you wouldn't take the risk

I agree with you, I already have a full staffie and have never had any negative comments about him. I didn't set out to get a staffie I acquired him and I often wish he had longer legs and that would make him type wouldn't it. People find all sorts of things scarey for various reasons but it doesn't affect the choices I make.

Having adopted Alfie as a 12 week old pup, I had no idea how he would look when he grew up. What I do know is that I am so glad I don't live in a city now he is an adult. It is terrifying to know your dog could be seized and as the law is so ambiguous, that he could be deemed to be type.

I have met a couple of exempted dogs who are different to look at in so many ways, and yet still classed as Pit Bull type.

It does worry me and I do all I can to ensure Alfie doesn't bring attention to himself in the wrong way. He is muzzled, chipped, insured, neutered and under control.

Other factors come into 'choosing a dog' for a lot of people. The dogs being talked about are mostly big, strong dogs.

In my younger days I would vow I'd never own any dogs other than GSDs, they were the best dogs in the world!

I still love them but would not now own one for a variety of reasons:

Personal reasons - because I no longer have the physical strength nor the stamina that I had years ago to cope with and train a big, strong dog that could pull me over.

Practical reasons - I no longer live in a house with a garden - I live in a small apartment that I consider to be totally unsuitable for anything other than the smaller breeds of dog.

And another practical reason is that I take my dog just about EVERYWHERE with me. And it's just a fact that a cute, tiny, well behaved dog is more welcome in most establishments and other people's homes than a great big hairy boisterous one (that a lot of people are scared of)!

Even if my circumstances were different I wouldn't get much pleasure from owning a dog of a type that gets SO MUCH bad press (geez almost every article I've read concerning these new laws or even articles about dangerous dogs in general seems to feature horrible scary photos of these 'types' of dogs so, whether it is fair or not, they seem to have become synonymous with the phrase 'dangerous dogs').

Everyone is free to choose the 'type' of dog they'd like to own. Sadly it seems that there is a 'type' of person that often chooses these 'types' of dogs that then end up in rescues or being publicised as being dangerous because the 'type of person' that owned them was irresponsible.

There is a flip side to the negativity though. My Saskia is the friendliest dog ever. She makes people smile and I have had so many positive comments about her. Even Alfie, complete with scary muzzle, has made a lot of new friends.

I do think the fact I also have 2 'cute' small dogs helps though. But I know many people have said they have seen a different side to the media hype/lies about the breed.