IRVINE MP Brian donohoe has backed organisations looking for a change to the law on dangerous dogs.

M Donohoe, MP for Central Ayrshire, has this week received joint representations from the British Veterinary Association (BVA), Dogs Trust and the Kennel Club on their historical lobbying over the years for the government to repeal and replace the existing Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) 1991.

He said: "The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is often referred to as the worst piece of legislation ever to reach the statute book." The representatives of the various organisations looking for a change in the law believe that, first and foremost, the biggest failure of the DDA is the breed specific part (section 1). Banning types of dogs such as the pit bull terrier has not reduced the numbers found in the UK, instead their numbers have increased significantly and breed specific legislation does not get to the crux of the problem.

Mr Donohoe added: "In addition, the other measures contained within the Act only work after an incident has taken place and not on a preventative basis. The number of hospital admissions for dog bites has risen with over 6,000 adults and children being admitted to hospital last year alone.

"I agree that the emphasis must be on tackling the actions of irresponsible dog owners of all breeds of dogs, not just specified ones." The organisations involved in lobbying for a change to the law have indicated that they would be completely opposed to calls for further breeds of dog to be added to the banned breed list, believing that the focus must be on the owner if the problem of bites is to be dealt with effectively. In many cases the dog in question has shown signs of aggression and if this behaviour can be dealt with early there is a greater chance of preventing it escalating.

In addition, they would also oppose moves that would require all dogs to be muzzled either in public or in private. With 8 million dogs in the UK, it is believed it would be completely wrong to penalise the millions of responsible owners because of the actions of the irresponsible minority.

Mr Donohoe added: "We would be in exactly the same situation as we are in now: responsible owners would comply and irresponsible owners, who are causing the problems, would not.

"Defra has already stated that the department is close to finalising a package of measures designed to tackle irresponsible dog owners, so it is anticipated that this subject will be receiving significant attention in Parliament in the coming months. "I will listen closely to the debate and trust any new legislation that is brought in will be more about finding solutions to irresponsible dog ownership rather than breed specific laws which obviously do not work."