On-going concerns for 'status dogs'
Concerns for the welfare of status dogs have been raised again after a study linked these breeds to violent crime in the UK.
The study was conducted by a Middlesex University criminologist Simon Harding, and discovered ties between violent crime on UK streets, and the trading of dangerous dogs for financial gain.
"The issue of status dogs and, more importantly, the irresponsible minority who own and breed these dogs for the wrong reasons, is one that the Kennel Club is particularly concerned with," says Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club.
Commenting on the Dangerous Dogs Act, Kisko adds: "Any poorly trained dog can be dangerous in the wrong hands and unfortunately breed specific legislation has the unintended consequence of turning banned breeds into status symbols, so that they are taken on by the wrong people who train them for the purposes of fighting or aggression."
The organisation have called for the government, police and dog welfare organisations to "work together to push for more preventative measures for dealing with irresponsible dog owners, and to ensure that a system is in place to better protect the public, dog owners and non-dog owners alike, and the welfare of dogs."
Click here for further information on the status dogs study.
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
