Battersea strongly opposes adding Staffordshire Bull Terriers to the banned breed list

Today a petition opposing calls to add the Staffordshire Bull Terrier to the band breeds list will be debated before Parliament. The debate will take place in the House of Commons, Westminster Hall at 4:30pm, and you can watch the debate live on Parliamentary TV. Battersea strongly opposes adding Staffordshire Bull Terriers to the banned breed list and you can find our statement on this below. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

A Battersea Dogs & Cats Home spokesperson told Charity Today: “Battersea strongly opposes adding Staffordshire Bull Terriers to the list of banned breeds and supports the petition before Parliament today. We have, and always will, champion Staffies for their loving, gentle and loyal natures. Last year we rehomed 350 Staffies that have become wonderful, life-changing companions and their new owners constantly tell us that these dogs make a wonderful addition to their family.

“Staffies are a much-maligned breed that don’t deserve a bad reputation. We know that in the right environment, and with the right owners, Staffies can and do make ideal family pets. Thousands of proud owners will tell you that Staffies really are softer than you think. We know these owners, just like us, will be appalled by the slightest suggestion of banning the breed. The fact that over 150,000 people have signed this petition is testament to how many people across the UK love Staffies and have had their lives touched by these great dogs.

“There are, of course, dangerous dogs in our communities, but Battersea does not believe a dog is dangerous simply because of the way it looks. We support a common-sense approach that says dogs should be judged on what they do, not on what they look like. We, and every other major dog welfare organisation, are opposed to breed-specific legislation – which has failed to protect the public. Dog attacks have continued to rise since four breeds of dogs were banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, proving that these laws do not work. Adding another breed to the list will not keep the public safe and will lead to thousands more innocent dogs being needlessly put to sleep.”

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