Improving the Welfare of Seized Dogs
Every year in the United Kingdom approximately 3600 dogs are seized by the police as a result of being subject of legal proceedings.
The dogs may have been involved in an incident whereby their behaviour was deemed to be dangerous or seized simply because of their appearance which has resulted in the police suspecting them to be of a prohibited breed. The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 continues to be a controversial piece of legislation that I am not going to discuss today, I am saving that topic for a whole different blog piece!
As an expert assessor of dogs subject to legal proceedings, I come in contact with seized dogs on a frequent basis. These dogs are housed in private, contracted kennels, that are designated by individual police forces for the duration of any investigation and court case, which is frequently many months and in some cases over 3 years.
The physical and behavioural welfare of seized dogs is of real concern to me. Many of these dogs have never been away from their families, they may have never experienced kennel life which, to very many dogs, can be an extremely stressful experience.
Fear and Stress
Family pets finding themselves in this strange environment, with no familiar humans, often experience fear and stress and as such may display fear aggression. Kennel staff, many of whom do not possess the knowledge or experience necessary to understand the reasons behind aggressive behaviour, may feel that they are unable to remove the dog from its kennel safely and, as a consequence, the dog does not receive the exercise and social interaction required to meet its welfare needs.
From personal experience, I have seen dogs that have remained in a kennel with no human interaction or exercise for many months. With patience and care, I have been able to get these fearful dogs out of their kennels in less than 30 minutes with no aggression being displayed, and they have been affectionate dogs who just needed some understanding.
Behavioural Deterioration
Not addressing behaviour problems that arise in kennels is likely to result in behavioural deterioration and compromised welfare.
Some dogs also leave these kennels in a poor physical state. I am aware of many dogs that are returned to owners very underweight, with skin conditions and injuries that were not present when the animals went into the kennels.
The RSPCA published guidelines to ensure the welfare needs of seized dogs are met in 2015, however, there is no system in place to ensure these guidelines are adhered to, and no accountability for the welfare of these dogs.
I am attempting to change this; I have proposed that an independent kennel visiting scheme be implemented, much like the visiting scheme for human detainees in police custody. Unannounced visits by trained and vetted volunteers to police contracted kennels with reports regarding the welfare and treatment of seized dogs being submitted to a multi-agency committee would ensure that welfare guidelines are being adhered to and hopefully prevent behavioural and physical deterioration of dogs and breaches of animal welfare legislation. The committee would include representatives from the police, DEFRA, the RSPCA, the veterinary profession and the animal behaviour profession.
I have the full support of the RSPCA and I am speaking at the next All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group online event regarding my proposal. At present, I have had no response to my proposal from the other agencies involved with the welfare of seized dogs, in particular, the National Police Chiefs Council and DEFRA. I have only just begun my campaign however and I am determined to improve the welfare of seized dogs, ensure there is accountability for their care and give these dogs a voice.
More to follow…….
