Almost 40,000 Dogs Seized by UK Local Councils in 10 Months

"Research out today has revealed that in the first 10 months of 2016, UK councils seized around 127 dogs a day – more than 38,670 total. Pet insurer, Direct Line, who has released the findings discovered that of those almost a third (11,213 dogs) were rehomed and 1,238 dogs were sadly put to sleep.

The seizure of dogs has been on the decline over the past three years, having peaked in 2014 with 73,503 dogs seized by local councils (201 dogs per day). In 2015, there were 61,339 dogs seized by local councils (168 dogs per day), with the number of seizures this year indicating that we will likely see a continuation of this trend by the end of 2016.

But one constant factor in over the last three years has been that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier has topped the list of the most seized, and most commonly euthanised dog breed ..."

Full Article HERE

The numbers are depressing aren't they, but at least it is coming down significantly year on year.

The articles use of the word 'seized' is misleading and bizarre though. It appears that these are dogs collected by or handed in to the dog warden, that were abandoned or straying. Seized makes you think they were forcefully taken from their crying owners!

As for most being staffies I'm not surprised. I drive nightbuses in Edinburgh, through the poorer parts of town and staffies outnumber other breeds in these areas by hundreds to one. Most homeless people dogs are staffies, most young lads on the bus who are high and have a dog - yep it's a staffy. I don't think most people have them because they think they're hard, quite the opposite. They have them because they're cheap/free to acquire. In the local gumtree there are always staffy pups for less than a hundred quid and juveniles free to any home that will take them.

Bit like that here in Bristol,  and has been the main reason that tolerance for off lead dogs has reduced,  to the extent I no longer feel able to let mine have routine off lead excersise.

Understandable but what a shame, I'm lucky in living in a village outside of town where the majority of dogs are 'normal' friendly, sociable breeds.

I must admit I dreaded seeing another 2 Staffie-cross pups over Christmas, or rather I felt  sorry for them as with the owner they had, they have a tiny chance of becoming normal, socialized dogs.

The man has had large Staffies before and they were all muzzled out on their rare walks after he was reported to the dog warden for a couple of incidents with other dogs. He lives near a friend who was talking to him & he was talking of getting rid of them as they were biting the kids ( I would too if I lived there). She's trying to talk him into letting her take them to the local rescue, where they may find a decent home as they are still under 10 weeks