For the past five years or so it was obvious that there was a problem with certain types of dogs and in particular their owners. A year or so ago, it became worse. In the RSPCA Harmsworth hospital, we were seeing two or three dog fights per day. One weekend, a colleague on duty had to deal with 10 separate fights. All these dogs were Staffordshire bull terrier crosses or pitbull crosses. On the Monday morning, this colleague decided he had had enough and handed in his notice.

The loss of an experienced and valued colleague concentrated my mind and I started to look for answers. To do that, I had first to decide exactly what the problem was and what, if any, were the underlying causes. Only then might it be possible to start considering solutions. From the outset, it seemed obvious to me that the media, politicians, some animal charities and most veterinary surgeons did not really understand the problem and were keen to come up with quick-fix answers. The most obvious example of this is the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) 1991, a hasty Act that has achieved nothing.

In terms of the problem there were two separate issues. First, Staffordshire bull terriers and their crosses had over a period of some years become a fashion accessory dog. This had led to some people realising that these dogs could be bred for profit. Puppies, with no pedigrees, were changing hands for £500 each. Bitches were being bred twice yearly until exhausted, netting the ‘breeder’ (usually living in social housing in poor areas) up to £8,000 in a year. Many people bought the pups, either on a whim or for breeding. This resulted in considerable cruelty by neglect caused by people with no interest in or knowledge of animal welfare. Subsequently, these owners often found they could not afford to keep the dogs, which led to unprecedented abandonment. Even some years later, following much debate and many attempts to educate the public, dog rescue centres are full to overflowing with abandoned dogs.

The second problematical issue was the pitbull or its type. Despite being illegal under the DDA, I was seeing large numbers of such dogs either owned or abandoned.