Panorama, 02/08/10, 8:30, BBC1

[mj.scuba]

I think when the Governement fund control they can start to help develop a new system , whilst they do nothing and leave it private individuals and charities to fund it it'll just continue.

 

I think if you really really want a Staffie as a family pet, a small admin fee shouldn't put them off, after all dogs are expensive things to have with all the food over its lifetime and vets bills. If they can't afford a small admin fee to get the licence, should they be dog owners?

[llamatron]

I think if you really really want a Staffie as a family pet, a small admin fee shouldn't put them off, after all dogs are expensive things to have with all the food over its lifetime and vets bills. If they can't afford a small admin fee to get the licence, should they be dog owners?

 

I think they have the licence in ireland and I read recently that it has made no difference to the situation.

 

I just remembered where I read it, the dogs trust magazine "wag", they suggested microchipping instead.

[Bulgarian]

Wouldn't it be a better idea to just ban breeding them, eventually they will die out.

[Rioja]

I think if you really really want a Staffie as a family pet, a small admin fee shouldn't put them off, after all dogs are expensive things to have with all the food over its lifetime and vets bills. If they can't afford a small admin fee to get the licence, should they be dog owners?

 

But the responsible owners will happily pay a small registration fee because they are responsible. The chav scutter just won't bother paying for one but will still manage to get their hands on a dog anyway.

 

I also think it would be impossible to police. Plod seems reluctant enough to approach the average chav in the street as it is, imagine if they were tasked with approaching every brain dead, bling encrusted scutter to enquire about their dog license?

 

Much better to concentrate on the breeders. Tighten the rules and issue draconian bans and punishments for irresponsible breeders.

[LitleMermaid]

A licence, in my opinion, as someone who fosters dogs (a lot of them staffs), would not make a huge deal of difference. What you would most likely find is honest people would have yet another outgoing, whilst the scrotes who are the type to train their dogs to be agressive would just not bother. It bothers me that perfectly healthy dogs are being put to sleep; of course it does. It doesn't sit easy on my conscience in the slightest. I wish there was another solution but from personal experience I can see that there are just so many unwanted staffies. Rescues simply cannot cope with the influx, and many of these poor dogs will spend months if not years in an uncomfortable kennel environment because there just aren't enough homes for them. What really needs tackling is the rate with which idiots are "breeding" (I use the term loosely) so called status dogs. It's a sad state of affairs but do you know what? The government simply do not give a crap about dogs and their welfare. Something needs to be done, that much is plain, yet I admit I really cannot see a viable solution.

 

It's such a shame because all owners of these breeds get tarred with the same brush when many of them have done the decent thing and got a dog from rescue. The vast majority of staffs are brilliant, loving dogs who make wonderful pets. I wish the people who let their dogs have litter after litter would come with me to the pound and see what they are causing. It's totally heartbreaking.

[willman]

I think if you really really want a Staffie as a family pet, a small admin fee shouldn't put them off, after all dogs are expensive things to have with all the food over its lifetime and vets bills. If they can't afford a small admin fee to get the licence, should they be dog owners?

 

The reason many dogs are in the pound especially the proper "pound" not rescue kennel is the cost. If your dog strays it costs to get it back - it costs more than gettig another dog out of the paper or free ads.

It only costs £76 with no background checks etc to get any dog from the pound, tends to leave the system of wanton breeding and selling open to abuse.

You'd also be surprised how many neutered dogs are overlooked.

[Bloomdido]

Are people in local authority housing allowed to keep pets? Perhaps new tenancy contracts could stipulate which pets they are allowed to keep.

[medusa]

Wouldn't it be a better idea to just ban breeding them, eventually they will die out.

 

And of course that's worked so well with pitbulls hasn't it?

 

The problem with any sort of legislation is implementation and enforcement. Those of us who are responsible dog owners and who take all of the steps to identify, train and care for our dogs already take those steps without enforcement.

 

That doesn't mean that I don't see people ignoring the already functioning animal rights laws though, so obviously there is a huge amount that could already be done to improve the lot of many animals with better enforcement.

 

I understand Battersea's position completely- they have a policy of never turning an animal down and that means that they are far bigger and have far better experience in what dogs are likely to get a home (and more importantly which dogs they feel aren't going to put them at legal risk to rehome because of safety) and I'm not going to judge them for that.

 

There are way too many dogs of all sorts in this country and we need to start addressing that. I don't believe in always keeping healthy dogs alive because a healthy dog with major behavioural problems is just not homeable and it's not fair to make them live out their years in a kennel with no love or attention, which is also horribly expensive and ties up the space which could be used for dozens of other dogs during that time.

 

We cannot save them all- to do that depends on both the dogs being emotionally able to be homed and there being enough suitable homes waiting for them. Neither is true and it's time we faced these facts.

[garrence]

A dead staffy is the best kind.

 

< dons flameproof jacket >

[willman]

 

There are way too many dogs of all sorts in this country and we need to start addressing that. I don't believe in always keeping healthy dogs alive because a healthy dog with major behavioural problems is just not homeable and it's not fair to make them live out their years in a kennel with no love or attention, which is also horribly expensive and ties up the space which could be used for dozens of other dogs during that time.

 

We cannot save them all- to do that depends on both the dogs being emotionally able to be homed and there being enough suitable homes waiting for them. Neither is true and it's time we faced these facts.

 

Edited to suit me - too true, yet believe it or not i "work" occasionally with rescues bringing in dogs from Cyprus and Spain.