Control Of Fighting Dogs

EDM number 928 in 1989-90, proposed by Alan Williams on 01/05/1990.

That this House is appalled that within 24 hours there have been life-threatening attacks by rottweilers, a pit-bull terrier and an alsation; is alarmed at the fact that this threat is rapidly increasing; notes that no sooner had the public become more aware of the risks from rottweilers than it was being warned of a new more savage import from America, the pit-bull terrier, which is bred purely to fight and to terrorise, but is horrified to discover that this highly dangerous fighting breed now is deliberately being developed as an even more vicious terror dog by crossing the male pit-bull terriers with either a rottweiler, Neapolitan mastiff, Rhodesian ridgeback or bull-mastiff bitch, the resulting cross-bred 'bandog' weighing up to 130lbs; believes that as these animals change hands for about ú1000 there is a real risk that the high profits will encourage their uncontrolled breeding and sale; is convinced that these new breeds of fighting dog are more akin to wild animals than to domestic dogs; demands that as the Government has rejected registration as a first step to curbing this growing threat, Ministers should bring forward urgent measures to protect the public, especially the young; and is convinced that these dogs should be made subject to the same controls and safeguards as are other dangerous wild animals.

This motion has been signed by a total of 40 MPs.