The Pompey Chimes Forum

There seem to be an increasing number of very serious dog attacks in the last few years the majority of which involve children some of which are fatal.

Despite this there seems to be little appetite for further regulation and control.

Is dog ownership the UK's 2nd Amendment? Discuss

Interesting issue, this one.

The dogs are just following their instincts, they are carnivorous pack animals, and I presume these dogs see their victims as a threat to either themselves or the pack leader. Obviously, things like pitbulls have been bred specifically to enhance their fighting instincts, but it's still an animal following its instinct.

That's where the difference is - with a gun, it's the choice of a (supposedly) intelligent human. It's a willful act.

Is it justified to cull all such dogs, to prevent further tragedies? Does the "Innocent Until Proven Guilty" standpoint apply to dogs, by which I mean do you have to wait until a dog has attacked someone before it is "disposed of"? No doubt, the families of those killed by dogs would say yes, but then they are understandably biased.

Unfortunately it seems de rigueur for those people with some kind of psychological shortcoming to have a breed of dog to indicate that they are up for a scrap.

Even to the extent where they name the poor creature 'Wellard' or similar to show how ready for violence it is (along with its owner).

And when you get a bonehead with a dog then that dog is unlikely to behave as it normally would with a sane owner.

I haven't read anything about the incident to which Pompey Dave refers so I may be wide of the mark in this particular case.

And there I was thinking this was going to be a 'show us a picture of your dog' thread. Instead you want to kill her...

Me and my bitch are off out, and you'll never find us!

I am a lover of the Staffordshire bull terrier, unfortunately they are sometimes owned by a minority who shouldn't be allowed to
own a dog , let alone bring children into this world.
Very sad the attacks that happen on a too regular basis.

I think a lot of this comes down to the owners of these dogs. We have friends that have a pit bull and you would be hard pushed to find a more friendly animal. They have a cat too and he never bothers the cat either. Of course, as a dog he bl**dy smells, but other than that even I like him. So I think it is the home and the people in it - init.