Deputy Mayor of London Calls for Dangerous Dog Courts

Fri, 14 May 2010

The Deputy Mayor of London is lobbying ministers in an attempt to set up courts which would allow illegal dog breeds to be dealt with more efficiently. Kit Malthouse hopes to set up special courts which would force pet dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act to be destroyed within 72 hours of being seized.

Mr Malthouse, who is chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, stepped up his efforts to establish the courts after two schoolgirls were attacked by a dog during a PE session in south London. The girls, aged 12 and 13, had to be rushed to hospital after being bitten on the leg by a dog labelled as a ‘weapon dog’.

The courts, crudely dubbed ‘death courts’, would help to bring down the £10 million cost of keeping seized animals in kennels – a cost which has soared following the proliferation of illegal dogs being used by gangs in the UK as ‘weapon dogs’. A record 1,146 dogs were seized in London alone last year, many of which were pitbull terriers or other illegal dog breeds. Vets and animal charities such as the RSPCA have called for compulsory microchipping to be introduced to help keep track of illegal dogs.

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