"My Dog is a Weapon", 9pm, BBC3, Thursday
BBC THREE Thursday 21 May 2009
"My Weapon Is A Dog"
9.00-10.00pm (Schedule Addition 7 May)
On nearly every high street from Penzance to London and Glasgow to Belfast, there’s a new "must-have" accessory for some young men. Not the latest trainers or mobile phone, but fierce, snarling dogs.
Rickie Haywood-Williams explores the hip-hop and peer-pressure culture that has led to this growth in aggressive dogs in his hometown of London – on the streets and abandoned in shelters. He discovers that dogs are bred, bought, sold and given away with incredible ease.
In some cases dogs are deliberately trained and even abused to make them vicious. Methods of "toughening up" dogs include chain fighting and beatings. The owners claim it’s all necessary for protection – but are they always in control of their animals?
Rickie learns that the "Staffie", formerly a dog of choice, is now being replaced by bigger, fiercer breeds as the dog to have. Shockingly, he discovers that the Pit Bull, the most notorious status dog of all, is back with a vengeance.
Rickie meets victims of vicious dog attacks to hear their reaction to the rise in aggressive dogs. He also visits vets at Harmsworth Animal Hospital as they desperately try to patch up dogs after they’ve been abused or neglected.
The film also seeks to understand the status dog culture from the owners’ point of view – examining the question of why so many young men want to be feared
Insightfull and alarming programe, More has to be done to prevent these hoodlums having access to such powerfull animals.
More must also be done to prevent these poor dogs being exploited in such a primitive and cruel mannor.
What century are we living in?
no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners
i am 21 myself and have 2 staffies, and it makes me sick. these dogs are not weapons, they are loving animals and should never ever be treated like this. Did you see the eyes of Psycho, the dog in the programme? He was not a bad, or vicious dog. Just a scared bewildered one, who's owners that he loved have put him through hell, and now he will most likely have to be destroyed as 'type'. I wish the vets were permitted to find dogs like him new, loving responsible homes, instead of having to have them pts
I currently have a 17 yr old x staff gsd and a 5 mth old abd n both dogs are great, im quite worried about my american bulldog getting mistaken for a pit bull (which i have had 2 of n both dog n bitch had a great temperament) but i dont want to go through the hassle with my american bulldog which i went through with my pit bulls 20 yrs ago hmm some people just tar them all with the same brush
i watched this programme and all i can say is the blokes on the show who own the dogs are pure and simply WASTE MANS…
ive owned staffs for 15 years it makes me sick people treating them like this i own 3 staffs now none of them are dog aggesive and will quite happerly play with any dog willing to play abit rough
i blame the breeders for selling young people the dogs knowing they dont have a stable enviroment
at such a young age to care for a dog
rescue kennals are over flowing and y cus of idiots today making them the way they are so they cant be rehomed with other dogs makes my blood boil
After watching this program I am appalled. This program makes out that all pit bulls are dangerous and any dog that can be related to them in looks should be banned and feared. A dog is trained to act in a certain way. It is not the breed it IS the owner. Pit bulls have been banned because in the past they have attacked people. It is more common for a lab to attack someone than a staffie however it’s the staffie that’s classed as dangerous. Is this fair? No! However this type of program just creates more hype over the dangerous dogs status. Pit bulls are breed to be 'people friendly,' however has this ever been said? No. Staffies make great pets but it’s the idiots that don’t walk them, don’t train them and don’t know the needs of a dog that make them 'dangerous.' I don’t understand how people can treat there pets like this. All dogs do is provide love and companionship and how do we repay them?
With hate anger and discrimination. If it was recorded that most murderers had brown hair and blue eyes would we put every person who fit this description in prison? Of course not! That would be discrimination however we see fit to do this too dogs. I can not deny the terrible accidents and attacks that have occurred over the past years but we should not blame the dogs. If everyone was taught to respect the dogs and there needs this type of program would never need to be created. I just hope that after this program rescue organizations don’t find themselves overrun with these types of dogs because of how people now fear them. What hope do we have of providing dogs in rescue centres with loving homes when everyone has been programmed, by the media, to fear them?
I am absolutely disgusted by the morons that were shown and the many others that weren't. I have an American Bulldog that outweighs me by around a stone in weight, but i am a very good dog handler and can control my animal. These louts should be banned from owning pets and thrown in jail for animal abuse. Dogs are not weapons, they are pets, they are a part of the family and should never be treated in this horrific manner. These idiots give experienced-and responsible-dog owners, like myself, a very bad name and something has to be done about them. I worry when I walk down the street that a dog will come out of nowhere and attack Scooby because you just dont know these days. And, if it comes to having to pay, and qualify, for a dog licence to own a so-called "evil breed" of dog, then so be it. I'd be quite happy to pay for it, as it would stop this sick treatment of a loving, and very loyal animal.
I agree with the above. I currently own 4 dogs and one of which is a rescue puppy American Bulldog.
I must admit, if I see a Staffie type being walked by a middleaged person I am relaxed but with a young group of blokes etc, I will go the other way with my dogs to avoid confrontation.
My parents have been DEMANDED to put their Spaniels on the lead as their dogs who are running loose might turn on them.
It discusts me that this is what we have to put with.
SICK SICK people.
Did the RSPCA visit any of these people after the programme??/?
Excellent coverage last night of a shocking problem with dangerous dogs and their owners last night. I am a dog owner and can completely relate to way these people with their dogs intimidate those around them. My dog was attacked by a staff and it was only his very thick coat that saved him form being savaged. I am always nervous when I come across these type of people and when their dogs are off the lead, it makes me so angry, when is the government going to wake up to this? I feel so sorry for the dogs involved, that vet was lovely .
We have a 2yr old male staffi and waiting for a new Bitch that is only 2 weeks old at the moment..
Our big bad dangerous staff ,runs every time there are more than 2 of our chickens near him.
And as for danger to humans, the only danger he is, is a trip hazard where he flopps down and rolls over for a belly rub.
After seeing the Tv last night we where digusted with these Idiots trying to look hard and the price of a dogs life.
I personaly think the only way forward would be a licence scheme, where the dog has to be signed off by a vet as to the breed, maybe also giving them powers of professional assesment if they think the dog may be a danger.
Chipping should be the norm and maybe even a photo Id card with all the breed details.
maybe a yearly fee of say £20 for a vet to scan your dog and assess it is not a lot to ask, for all the years of joy you will get back
This will not totaly stop this idiotic behaviour but it may just stop the creation of unknown and unstable cross breeds.
I think sensible owners would be prepeared to go this little extra .
It is so sad to see good dogs being destroyed and harmed in the name of fashion.
It would be nice to have a follow up on how King and his dog Pepper are getting on .
Have they now found a place where they can live ?
He had trained his dog to such a high standard and it shows this man has an infinity with dogs .
As for the other idiot thugs , they should not be allowed to keep any animal .
The so called DJ Gordon showed how the weak and threatened use these poor animals to ” Big ” themselves up . The man looked and sounded like a total dip stick , its a pity he has to abuse a dog so he feels protected .
I hope the RSPCA visited everyone of the ” Men ” on this film .
I saw this programme and cannot stop thinking about the plight of the poor animals shown. One dog suspended in the air at a dog fight – what was that all about?
A very distressing state of affairs.
I feel for all the responsible owners who are concerned about being “tarred with the same brush” and agree that this government needs to wake up to this problem.
The dog warden shown was clearly powerless to act against these work shy benefit cheats who aquire and breed these dogs. Licensing won’t in my view be enough. We saw one who was having problems with housing because of his dog. I say good ! I imagine these dogs cost several hundred pounds each – how can they afford them yet can’t get a deposit together for a place to live ?
These people won’t have insurance for the dog and will never pay for any treatment the dog needs. There should be a ban on anyone being out in public with one of these identified breeds unless they are over a certain age and can produce on demand a licence and if not the dog should be taken away from them on the spot and any dog so removed spayed.
Breeding any breed of dog in Local authority accommodation should be a reason to evict a tenant.
It’s about time steps were taken to discourage the ownership of dogs by those who cannot be trusted and don’t deserve to have them.
Time to get tough so that these poor defenceless dogs do not suffer any more. The RSPCA needs some teeth !
These feckless scum bags are way too powerful and I don’t want to see anymore people sporting appalling injuries as a result of being savaged by a dog not under the control of its owner.
This programme hopefully will lead to further debate and pressure for those entrusted with monitoring dog ownership to be given greater powers.The dog warden must have felt totally humiliated . There are only a few things these wasters react to and the sooner they are encouraged to more appropriate and responsible behaviour the better for all especially these particular breeds.