Curbing the trend towards 'combat' dogs

More than 1,000 dogs have been seized in London alone in the past year, four times as many as two years ago. It is their increasing prevalence that should be the source of concern. Young men struggling for identity and with little status through other means have always been attracted by dog ownership, and a particular type at that: what might be called "combat" dogs. Not all are illegal, though many are. Increasingly, they are cross-breeds between illegal breeds and the legal Staffordshire bull terriers, thus permitting claims to be on the side of legality.

Few young people will admit that they have their dogs for offensive behaviour. They will claim they are for protection. However, as any dog owner knows, a dog's behaviour is significantly the outcome of its rearing - and young men who own these animals are often hardly the most nurturing of individuals. The dogs are often not fed or exercised properly, do not have the necessary vaccinations and, like many of their owners, are likely to bark and bite at the slightest provocation.