Shadow Minister's Dangerous Dogs Support Welcomed

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LTB 127/12 CWU Bite-Back Campaign - Shadow Minister's Dangerous Dogs Support Welcomed


No 127/12
Ref P18/12
Date: 23 February 2012





To All Branches



Dear Colleagues,





CWU Bite-Back Campaign - Shadow Minister's Dangerous Dogs Support Welcomed


The CWU has welcomed Labour MP and Shadow Defra Minister Huw Irranca-Davies's strong support for the CWU 'Bite-Back' campaign reflected in a Guardian online article on 14 February, when he called for the Government to crack down on irresponsible dog ownership urgently. (See article copy attached).




In a powerful Comment piece, the MP stressed that warm words are not enough and underlined that amendments to the Dangerous Dogs Act must focus on irresponsible ownership as well as the dogs, to extend the law to cover private property, to bring in Dog Control Notices, to prevent attacks before they happen, and consider the introduction of microchipping all dogs.

Mr Irranca-Davies said it's really time for ministers at Defra to urgently address this issue which is concerning so many people across England and Wales. The Northern Ireland assembly and the Scottish parliament have already acted, showing that a government that really wants to can act decisively on this issue.
Huw Irranca-Davies has taken a close interest in the problem of Dangerous Dogs since taking over the shadow ministers post in Ed Milliband's front bench team and has been working closely with CWU National Health and Safety Officer Dave Joyce.

The Guardian article on Dangerous Dogs goes to the heart of the problem - inaction by the coalition government to take this issue seriously in spite of Prime Minister David Cameron's promises in a letter to Dave Joyce in April 2010 promising to support the CWU's 'Bite-Back' campaign objectives!.

Thousands of people of all ages are being attacked by dogs every year with attacks and irresponsible dog ownership on the rise. CWU members - in particular postmen and women - suffer debilitating injuries at the teeth of dogs and far too often the present inadequate law prevents prosecution or compensation.


As Huw Irranca-Davies mentioned in his article, the CWU are working closely with a range of stakeholders including Animal Charities, Police and Dog Wardens, Unions, Vets, Medical Profession. We are agreed on
what needs to happen to make a positive change. Politicians are behind us and there is cross-party support for reforms. This should be a no-brainer for the government so why on earth has nothing happened since the Defra public consultation back in June 2010 supported change to Dangerous Dogs Laws?


Action is urgently needed. It must address the range of issues we and our partners have identified.
Twelve people have been killed by dogs since 2005 - seven of them children - Thousands more have been bitten and hundreds of people have been seriously injured in dog-related attacks with an increase in the particularly bad attacks on children (see attached report). 6,000 postal workers are attacked every year while delivering the country's post. 70% of those attacks occur on Private Property where the law doesn't apply in England and Wales at present and owners are immune from criminal prosecution - The 'Bite-Back'
Campaign aims to change that!!! (see attached CWU members case studies).


To get involved in supporting the 'Bite-Back' Campaign please:-
· Distribute the special 'Bite-Back' Campaign Leaflets and Posters (copy attached). These can be downloaded and printed or purchased from CWU/HQ Communications Department in batches of a thousand.
· Encourage as many people as possible to sign our No 10 Downing St 'e-petition' at the following link: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/22631" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
· Visit the CWU 'Bite-Back' Campaign Website at: http://www.cwu.org/dangerous-dogs-bite-back.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Yours Sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer