Dog rescue group urges clampdown on breeding bull terriers

A dog rescue group in the Lothians is calling for restrictions on breeding Staffordshire bull terriers to be brought in after reporting record numbers of the animals being abandoned.

The group, run by the Duchess of Hamilton, Kay Hamilton, blames the "hardman" image that owning the dogs carries, with unsuitable people buying "Staffies" as pets and then abandoning them when they don't live up to their notorious reputation.

The Scottish Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue group also claims people are deliberately breeding large litters of the dogs, commonly used for illegal dog fighting, in order to make huge amounts of money, with some dogs fetching as much as 500 pounds.

And they say some breeders will sell the dogs to anyone, meaning they often end up in the hands of inappropriate owners.

The group wants a national system of licensing for dogs to be brought in, a move which would reduce breeding and consequently the numbers of the animals which are abandoned.
Currently, the group is waiting to re-home 25 dogs, but has stringent checks to ensure owners are suitable carers for the animals.

They say around 25 of every 30 people who approach them to look after Staffordshires are unsuitable, drawn by the tough image of owning a bull terrier.

Lady Hamilton is chairwoman of the rescue group and is a "foster carer" for the dogs at her Archerfield estate in East Lothian.

She said: "People are just breeding far too many because they are getting a huge amount of money for them.

"They are keeping the best ones in a litter and selling on six or seven.

"The dogs have a bad reputation, but it's not deserved. Their nickname is actually the "nanny dog" because they are so good at looking after children.

"There is a huge temptation for our group to place these dogs in homes that are not the best because we are so desperate for owners, but we can't do that.

"The house is secondary - you can have a good owner anywhere, even a top-floor flat. It's the person that matters."

Lady Hamilton believes a national system of licensing should be formed for all dogs.

She suggests that reputable owners would be likely to be happy to pay around ?15 a year in order to license their dogs and says that would help ensure people were serious about taking on a pet.

She said: "There is not any alternative until we can track whose dog is whose, by paying for a licence. The licence could help pay for homes, rescue, training, all sorts of things."

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA) recently urged the Scottish Executive to back proposals of a government-sponsored report by the Dog Identification Group, which says there should be a voluntary scheme for the permanent identification of dogs by microchip or tattoo.

Natalie Smart, a spokeswoman for the Scottish SPCA, admitted certain breeds of dogs were more likely to be abandoned. She said: "Staffies are lovely dogs and have great personality, but it is often a certain type of owner who care for them.

"People are more hesitant of adopting them because of their reputation as fighting dogs. We do need to be more careful where we re-home dogs like them."

Teri McGowan, a dog breeder in Stoneyburn, is selling her Kennel Club-registered Staffordshire bull terrier for 450 pounds. She believes that the unmerited image of the dog is what leads some owners to discard the pets.

She said: "They are actually very family-orientated, really love people and want to be your best friend. Some people take advantage of that and also expect a beast of a dog. When they don't get it that's where the problems can come from.

"I only sell to responsible owners because Staffies can attract the wrong people.

"The problems come from breeders who don't do it all properly and just sell to anyone.

"I would never want any of my puppies to end up in a rescue home and if owners ever have any problems my door is always open to them and I will always take them back."

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THE FACTS

The Staffordshire bull terrier is an old breed of dog. The hounds were originally bred for bull-baiting, bear-baiting, lion-baiting and dog fighting. They came from England's Black Country.

The breed is a descendant of a line of terriers bred to tussle with bulls prior to the beast's slaughter, which is where the "bull terrier" part of the name comes from. But although this plucky breed is no longer used for such tough endeavours, it still displays some fearless and determined qualities.
It is generally seen as a friendly dog and is even given the nickname of "nanny dog" because it is so caring for children.

The dogs can be black, brindle, red, white, or any mix of these colours with white.

Reference: http://news.scotsman.com

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