"Bite-Back Campaign" - Sign The No 10 Downing St 'e-Petitio

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Letter to Branches




No. 999/11
Ref P18
Date: 25 November 2011

To: All Branches,

Dear Colleagues,

"Bite-Back Campaign" - Sign The No 10 Downing St 'e-Petition'!

This is just a quick update for Branches and Representatives.

Today is one week since our No 10 Downing St e-Petition went live.

The number of people that have so far signed the Petition is now over 4,600

Please give every effort to getting members to sign the petition.

Our aim is to reach the figure of 100,000 signatures which automatically triggers a full debate in the House of Commons where we know that our campaign has gained cross-party support from back bench MPs and such a debate would leave the government with no alternative but to change the Dangerous Dogs Laws.

The Petition reads:-
Call on coalition government to deliver effective solutions to irresponsible dog ownership
Responsible department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
We call on the coalition government to bring forward a government Bill in the Queen’s
Speech in 2012 that: consolidates and updates legislation concerning dog control; gives
greater flexibility and discretion to enforcers and the courts; improves public safety and
animal welfare; includes a genuine preventative effect; updates some offences; and
reduces the costs of enforcement. In particular we believe: the scope of legislation must
be extended to cover all places, both public and private; all dogs should be permanently
identified; legislation must focus on the owner’s actions or omissions rather than the type of dog; amendments must be made to ensure better canine welfare with a clear strategy to regularly review and ultimately phase out breed specific legislation; sufficient funding streams are essential for effective enforcement at a local level; and education and engagement should go hand in hand with any changes in the law to encourage more
responsible dog ownership.

The Petition can be accessed at:- http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/22631" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for Your Support and Assistance.

Yours Sincerely


Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer