Repeal Breed Specific Legislation
This petition gathered 116,252 signatures between 21 December 2021 and 21 June 2022, according to the Parliament petitions site. The Government responded on 13 January 2022. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 6 June 2022.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Repeal Breed Specific Legislation
The Government should repeal breed specific provisions in dangerous dogs legislation. We believe these provisions are a flawed approach to public safety and an ethical failing with regards to animal welfare.
We are not satisfied with the response to previous petitions making requests relating to breed specific legislation, and the recent report by Middlesex University, commissioned by the Government at a cost of £71,621, has now cast doubt on one of the core assumptions of the Dangerous Dogs Act: that certain breeds of dogs are inherently more dangerous. The Government should therefore immediately repeal breed specific legislation.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 13 January 2022; the petitions site lists the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as responsible. Its summary:
Simply repealing the breed specific provisions in dangerous dogs legislation with no other changes would increase the risks to public safety, which the Government is unwilling to do.
The response in full:
I recognise that many people are opposed to the prohibitions placed on the four types of dog - Pit Bull terrier; Dogo Argentino; Fila Brasileiro and the Japanese Tosa. However, the Government must balance the views of those who want to repeal or amend the breed specific legislation with our responsibility to ensure that the public is properly protected from dog attacks.
Historically, pit bull types are powerful dogs which have been traditionally bred in the UK for dog fighting. Data gathered from 2005 onwards on fatal dog attacks show that pit bulls were involved in around one in six tragic incidents, despite the prohibitions that we have in place that have significantly limited the numbers of pit bulls in the UK. Furthermore, according to information from the Metropolitan Police, nearly 20 per cent of dogs found to be dangerously out of control in Greater London were pit bulls.
The Government, therefore, considers that a lifting of the restrictions on these types of dogs would more likely result in an increase in dog attacks, rather than contributing to any reduction in such incidents. This position is supported by the police.
Despite the general prohibitions on these types of dog, individual prohibited dogs can be kept by their owners or person for the time being in charge if a court judges that the dog is not a danger to public safety, subject to certain conditions, including being on a lead and muzzled in public.
In December 2021, Defra published research in collaboration with Middlesex University to look at responsible ownership across all breeds of dog. The research considers different approaches and the effectiveness of current dog control measures and makes several recommendations including specifically on improving the evidence base. The report will provide the basis for the consideration of reform in this area and the Government is already working with the police, local authorities, and stakeholders to consider the recommendations further.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 681, came from Havant.
115,208 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,044 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Havant | 681 |
| Ellesmere Port and Neston | 634 |
| Bootle | 510 |
| Portsmouth North | 498 |
| Knowsley | 474 |
| Isle of Wight | 473 |
| Liverpool, Walton | 453 |
| St Austell and Newquay | 447 |
| Garston and Halewood | 428 |
| Portsmouth South | 426 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 16,993 |
| North West | 16,043 |
| South West | 12,462 |
| East of England | 10,608 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 9,173 |
| West Midlands | 9,159 |
| East Midlands | 9,054 |
| Scotland | 8,364 |
| Wales | 6,303 |
| London | 6,168 |
| North East | 5,781 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,586 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 6 June 2022. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/603988.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
401f8ecf4ddfa367… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.