Dedicated West Midlands Police team to take dangerous dogs off the streets

Nov 30 2009 by Mark Cowan, Birmingham Mail

THE problem of dangerous dogs has been identified as such a threat that West Midlands Police has a dedicated team to help take them off the streets.

The pit bull is one of four types of dog – the others are the Japanese tosa, dogo argentino and the fila braziliero breeds – banned in the UK under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

The force has trained specialist dog handlers who are able to examine dogs to see if they match the characteristics of banned breeds allowing the animal to be seized.

Dog Legislation Officer PC Keith Evans said there was evidence that status dogs were also being used for primitive fighting. In one recent case officers who raided a suspected drug dealer recently found a banned pit bull with scars over its body.

PC Evans said: “We are now seeing a grey area where dogs are being used for primitive style of fighting called ‘rollings’ in parks – sometimes for money, other times for a bit of street cred.”

Insp Minor said the injuries could not be underestimated, citing one case in which a young girl lost most of the muscle on her legs after being mauled. He added: “This isn’t about trying to frighten the public, it’s a reality check.”