Another Innocent dog condemned to die. (Breed Specific Legislation / BSL)

Apologies if this has been posted before

CROSSPOST

Tyson, an old ‘pit bull’ registered under the draconian Dangerous Dogs Act legislation has been sentenced to death by the Courts.

What was his crime? Well he hasn’t actually done anything wrong, but his muzzle wasn’t on him and the Act requires that registered dogs must be muzzled at all times when in a public place.

Tyson’s case was heard initially at West London Magistrates Court and has painstakingly worked it’s way to the High Court in London, but regardless as to what you and I see at just plain common sense, the death sentence has been ordered and Tyson must now die.

Will we now all feel a lot safer in our beds tonight with the knowledge that the streets are a safer place? – I think not!

Yet again, the Act which is supposed to protect the public, makes no sense at all, what is the point when you throw the full weight of law against one old dog?

Why spend colossal amounts of public money and waster endless man hours just to secure the death of an old dog who didn’t have his muzzle put on, where is the justice in this?

Many cases have been highly publicised over the years, showing the inadequacies of the legislation, the Act was amended in 1997 but the Amendments obviously didn’t go far enough, the Act has once again reared its ugly head and proved that the machinery to promote misery and deliver injustice after injustice is still very much intact.

Every veterinary surgeon in the country should, on a matter of principle and in line with their sworn oath, refuse to administer the fatal injection and decline to participate in the destruction of a wanted healthy companion-against the owner’s wishes.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke has the powers to intervene, Tyson should be pardoned and allowed to live out the rest of his life in peace.

The DDA needs to be urgently reviewed and changes made to prevent these miscarriages of justice from arising in the first place. Its present format is nothing short of a complete shambles and it should be made obsolete and replaced.

Tyson is locked away somewhere awaiting his fate, he will no doubt lick the hands of his executioner, like those who have before him, expecting he is going home, condemned due to his breed and nothing else, speak out for him today and make you opinions known:





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News coverage:



‘Pit bull death sentenced condemned’ – BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4636925.stm



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Tyson's death on my conscience
The Dangerous Dogs Act is bad law. It is high time it was amended
by Roy Hattersley in The Guardian – 4th July 2005

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/st...520609,00.html

Also this was in my local newspaper:

Call me cruel, but like his namesake perhaps Tyson should face the final bell

The sad courtroom saga of Tyson, an 'innocent' Pitbull terrier who the High Court ruled last week must now be put down because his owner failed to muzzled in 2003, will doubtlessly evoke strong public feeling.
The RSPCA pleaded in the case that the dogs should be judged by 'deed, not breed' and the dogs owner argued that her animal should not be punished for her offence.
It is easy to see merit in both these points of view, which both suggest extreme injustice for the dog.
Yet-perhaps as a mother, or maybe just as a human being- I can see another line of argumenthere.
For if as a society we waited for dogs of a breed known to be dangerous to attack before taking action, I suspect there would be a lot more innocent children mutilated by canines than is currently the case.
And it has to be said that the threat of legal action and fines will never be enough to deter some irresponsible dog owners from allowing their pets to go without a muzzle in a public place.
Convinced that their dog would hurt no-one-and forgetting somehow that what they are dealing with ia an animal without the power of reason-some owners feel that having to obey the law on dangerous dogs is an infringement of both their own rights and those of their pet.
For such people, little short of the threat of the dog being destroyed will work.
Like any law, letting offenders off the hook can only lead to a failure in making sure it is upheld.
It may seem harsh - and even the magistrates and judges in the case felt it to be so - but the fate of Tyson and any other potentially dangerous pet has to be secondary to the protection of our citizens from harm at the hands of owners willing to flout the law on a deeply misguided and ill-founded whim.

I was going to write into her, but neither me or Ian have any knowledge on the Pitbull.

But if anyone wants to I have her email address

There is a thread on Tyson here: http://www.dogweb.co.uk/talkdogs/in-...ght=hattersley

Well bred pitbulls, correctly raised and trained, are as reliable with people as any other breed. In fact the well-bred APBT is probably less likely to attack a human because, for years, they have been bred to uncomplainingly accept handling by people, despite pain, injury, sickness, mood, etc.

I have heard they are great dogs and also have spoke to people who have owned them before the ban and they too have said they are a fantastic dog.

Is a shame about Tyson, Its about time I think the law was changed I think

Here are some dangerous Pitbulls with kids

its an absolute outrage .. all people have the potential to kill . maybe we ahould all waer handcufs and muzzels too .. deed not breed !!!!!!! DEED NOT BREED . i for 1 would go on a march to downing st but i doubt theyd listen ,

i agree - its absoultely ridiculous and the very fact that regardign the latest pitbull attack - it has changed from a pitbull to a bulldog to a bull mastiff - so in fact nobody knows what the kind of dog it is - its just sensationalised as a pitbull..

they cant seriously expect every dog owner whose breed is currently "under fire" due to an incident to walk about with muzzled dogs - that just reinforces the fear and conclusion jumping in the general public. i could understand if Tyson had actually done something but just find it ridiculous that the courts are prepared to kill a dog due to the owner not muzzling it. Do they prosecute the parents of kids who misbehave - err no !!

dani

ok I may appear thick here but what the hell, Pits are banned? so how come I saw a lad round the corner from me, with one fairly young too. I aksed him was it an american staff, he said no and insisted it was a pIt, now this dog was OK with people but a devil of a dog with other dogs walking by, I said to the owner how come hes not castrated, his reply he gets done the day I get done and I;m not getting done, now then I was under the impression pits had to be castrated? if that is so how come this lad has one. and more to the point if they are supposed to be muzzled, how come he is quite happy to walk around with this dog, that attemps to attack any dog going by.

Are Pits actually banned?
are they supposed to be muzzled. I am truely not sure regarding the legal side of this in the UK.

I want to say though any dog that is totally innocent should in my oppinion not be automatically given the death sentence.

Mo

Yes they are banned and yes they should be muzzled.

I have heard first hand there are more Pitbulls now, than ever... and that many people would just think they were a Staff. Also there are many naming them staffs or irish staffs to get round the problem.

Then you get the occasional person who just doesn't give a fook what is on the end of the lead.

I cannot see the problem with them, if brought up and trained properly they are a very sweet dog (from what I have heard and read)

couldnt agree more - sadly its the small idiot contingent who own them for the wronf reason that created the problem in the first place.

There is no way to tell what you have - you can make a judgment but unless you have specific breed lines -= how do you know. Too many people randomly breeding two dogs that perhaps "look good " and literally dont have a clue !!

As gorgeous as bruno is even if he wasnt neutured allready I wouldnt breed from him as dont have any history on him and its ridiculous with the amoutn of stray/abandoned dogs we have that there are still idiots breeding willy nilly. IMO

dani