Marty
02-19-2007, 05:47 PM
Mansfield,Nottinghamshire,UK -- The Metropolitan Police force have reported that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the winner of K9 Magazine's "World's Best Dog" poll, is the most stolen breed in London. It ranked higher than German Shepherd Dogs and Rottweilers, representing over half of all dogs stolen in the capital.The report however, suggested that the dogs were being stolen in order to satisfy a demand for aggressive and dangerous dogs to be used in criminal activity such as drug dealing, robbery and dog fighting.
K9 Magazine spoke to a prominent dog professional, who has hands on daily contact with dogs about the report. The views of this person reflected the general bemusement of many who know and work with dogs.
"If a dog is allegedly desirable for its fighting ability and aggression, I doubt it would be desirable to a dog thief. Perhaps Staffordshire Bull Terriers are frequently stolen because they are the breed most likely to wander off with a stranger, tail wagging and happy. The breed are famous for being wonderfully friendly and trusting dogs. I would challenge any criminal to try stealing a truly aggressive, dangerous and intimidating dog. Add to this the fact that any person operating within the boundaries of illegal dog fighting would balk at the suggestion that they would go to the trouble of stealing a pet Staffy to use in fights, given the fact that your average Staffordshire Bull Terrier is significantly smaller and weaker than the dogs normally used for fighting. It would be like stealing a banana to hold up a bank."
The report has highlighted an important issue that needs addressing, that of dog theft, but why the Metropolitan Police Force have felt the need to add the completely speculative caveat regarding criminality to the release defies all logic. They are adding to the mislabelling of yet another breed, which happens to be a hugely popular pet in the UK.
USEFUL LINKS
www.met.police.uk (http://www.met.police.uk/)
Discuss this story now at www.dogchat.co.uk (http://www.dogchat.co.uk/) or see more dog stories at our Dog News website
http://www.k9magazine.com/viewarticle.php?sid=15&aid=1830&vid=0&npage=
K9 Magazine spoke to a prominent dog professional, who has hands on daily contact with dogs about the report. The views of this person reflected the general bemusement of many who know and work with dogs.
"If a dog is allegedly desirable for its fighting ability and aggression, I doubt it would be desirable to a dog thief. Perhaps Staffordshire Bull Terriers are frequently stolen because they are the breed most likely to wander off with a stranger, tail wagging and happy. The breed are famous for being wonderfully friendly and trusting dogs. I would challenge any criminal to try stealing a truly aggressive, dangerous and intimidating dog. Add to this the fact that any person operating within the boundaries of illegal dog fighting would balk at the suggestion that they would go to the trouble of stealing a pet Staffy to use in fights, given the fact that your average Staffordshire Bull Terrier is significantly smaller and weaker than the dogs normally used for fighting. It would be like stealing a banana to hold up a bank."
The report has highlighted an important issue that needs addressing, that of dog theft, but why the Metropolitan Police Force have felt the need to add the completely speculative caveat regarding criminality to the release defies all logic. They are adding to the mislabelling of yet another breed, which happens to be a hugely popular pet in the UK.
USEFUL LINKS
www.met.police.uk (http://www.met.police.uk/)
Discuss this story now at www.dogchat.co.uk (http://www.dogchat.co.uk/) or see more dog stories at our Dog News website
http://www.k9magazine.com/viewarticle.php?sid=15&aid=1830&vid=0&npage=