| PRESS RELEASE FROM THE KENNEL CLUB |
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DEVELOPMENTS IN GERMANY
The Kennel Club is extremely pleased to note the response of the Home Office (letter attached) and the level of support it has received from Members of the European Parliament regarding the situation in Germany. The vast majority of MEPs who have now responded to its call to action have been very proactive in writing to their German counterparts and are raising their concerns in the European Parliament. Some have even launched their own media campaigns and have been busy conducting interviews to help raise awareness. As the threat to dogs resident in this country appears to receed, The Kennel Club would like to remind readers to keep the pressure up and continue to think of the plight of dogs and their owners in Germany. It would also like to assure readers that whilst it has received positive responses from virtually everyone connected with this issue in the UK, The Kennel Club will actively continue to raise awareness of the distressing developments in Germany. Said Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club External Affairs Executive "Only this week we received a poster from Essen, Germany, copies of which have been placed in every Police Station to inform personnel of what types of dog they should be looking out for. Forty two breeds are depicted and included are Briards, Komondors and Estrela Mountain Dogs. The Stafford is also described as weighing between 25-35 kgs and its height is listed between 45-55cm, which is identical to the vital statistics given for the Pit Bull Terrier! " This point has certainly shocked and alarmed both The Kennel Club and Stafford enthusiasts, as the UK Breed Standard makes mention of weight being between 11 & 17 kgs and height 35.5 & 40.5cms, therefore well below the figures on the poster. This week The Kennel Club received a translation taken from a German Newspaper (attached), that provides background information on the dog and owner that are being largely to blame for the developments in Germany. If only the owner had known what repercussions his irresponsible actions were to cause.
Caroline Kisko 10 August 2000 Dear Caroline Thank you for your letter of 1 August about the proposals by the German authorities to introduce tight controls on the ownership of certain breeds / types of dog, both in Germany and across the EU. I can assure you that the Government would oppose any measures which it regarded as over-prescriptive, or which would require it to bring in laws more stringent than those which it has at present. I consider that existing UK law in the form of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (as amended in 1997) is adequate for both present and future control needs in this area. Whilst the Government has no objection in principle to harmonising controls of dangerous dogs across Europe, it is not convinced such a step is necessary. The Government will continue to closely monitor the German authorities' request for EU wide legislation that would place restrictions on dogs. I am aware of recent press reports about restrictions to be placed on a number of breeds / types under proposed German legislation and similar restrictions proposed by other European nations. It is the Governmentís view that another countriesí internal legislation is a matter for that nation alone. Yours sincerely MIKE O'BRIEN
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