Petition · past parliament
Repeal the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and replace it with up-to-date legislation.
Rejected
18 signatures
What the petition asks
The 1991 law banning the pit bull terrier, tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro is now 25 years old. The RSPCA are against it, it is not fit for purpose, and doesn't even state how to identify a pit bull! It should be replaced with a law targeting irresponsible owners, not individual breeds.
The DDA 1991 bans four types of dogs based on the myth that they are inherently dangerous. This is not the case. Also, the vagueness of the current law means almost any UK dog could be seized and put to sleep.
Dog attacks have tripled since 1991(source: NHS), and most have been blamed on dogs that are not 'illegal'. Rather than putting down friendly dogs like Francis the pitbull, replace the DDA with a new law placing responsibility for a dog's behaviour on the owner, as suggested by the RSPCA.
Dog attacks have tripled since 1991(source: NHS), and most have been blamed on dogs that are not 'illegal'. Rather than putting down friendly dogs like Francis the pitbull, replace the DDA with a new law placing responsibility for a dog's behaviour on the owner, as suggested by the RSPCA.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 31 Jul 2016 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 1 Aug 2016 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
18
Status
Rejected
Rejected
1 Aug 2016
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.