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Staffies 'will not be added to banned breed list'
Animal rights group PETA recently called for Staffies and American bulldogs to be added to the banned list.
Parliamentary debate triggered by e-petition 

Staffordshire bull terriers will not be added to the list of banned breeds in the UK, the government has confirmed, after the issue was debated in parliament.

The debate was triggered by an online petition urging the government to reject calls to add Staffies to section one of the Dangerous Dogs Act, which would effectively ban them. The petition received more than 170,000 signatures.

Under section 1 of the Act, which is known as breed specific legislation (BSL), pitbulls and three other types of dogs are banned in the UK.

Animal rights group PETA recently called for Staffies and American bulldogs to be added to the list, as it argues these breeds are abused and neglected to make them fiercer, and cited a number of incidents involving attacks.

During the House of Commons debate, George Eustice, the minister for agriculture, fisheries and food, stated: “The government have no plans at all to add the Staffordshire bull terrier to the prohibited list. We have been clear about that in response to the e-petition.”

As the debate moved onto the wider issue of BSL, there was strong support among cross-party MPs for changing the law to tackle irresponsible owners, not breeds of dog.

Several MPs shared stories of good-tempered dogs they had met in rescue centres such as Battersea, which had to be automatically euthanised because of their breed. There were calls to amend the legislation to consider the dog’s temperament, not just its type, and also to improve the science of identifying pitbulls, which currently relies on the dog’s appearance, not DNA testing.

Scottish National Party MP, Alan Brown, said: “Dangerous dogs are created by irresponsible owners, sometimes through neglect and sometimes through wilful behavioural training to create a dangerous dog, which is alarming in itself. We need to tackle those people, rather than worrying about specific dog breeds.”

Responding, Mr Eustice said the government believes BSL is a “valuable tool in the battle against irresponsible owners of dogs” and does not feel there is currently a case for changing the legislation.

Meanwhile, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee has been gathering evidence on the effectiveness of the Dangerous Dogs Act. A report on the findings is expected in due course.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."