New wave of dangerous
dog fighting in London

AT the beginning of November it was reported that a terrifying new wave of dog fighting, organised by teenage gangs using outlawed dog breeds to resolve disagreements, had become a new and worrying trend in London, UK.

It was hoped that later in the year a new bill may be passed in Parliament giving police extra powers to deal with the sinister trend. But will it be enough? David Akinsanya revealed some shocking figures in his recent television programme showing an explosion of dog-related violence in London over the last 12 months – the number of people hospitalised after a Staffordshire or pit bull attack has grown by 37percent and over two thirds of all dog fights involve rivalry between youth gangs.

Both the police and the RSPCA are, understandably, concerned. Mark Callis, from the RSPCA, tells of a horrifying attack by two pit bull terriers on another dog. He says: "The attack lasted 45 minutes, which is a long and sustained attack … in the end the police called their firearms unit in, and it took four bullets to stop this pit bull and kill it."

David Akinsanya spends some time with the new Metropolitan Status Dogs Unit, specifically established to deal with dangerous dogs and gangs, and finds that they're taking dozens of dangerous animals off the streets every month. But it's not just about removing the immediate danger posed by these dogs – the new Dogs Unit is actively working in partnership with local authorities and charities to re-educate the public about dog ownership.

Jan Eachus has been working with dogs for over 40 years and believes the best way forward is to register every dog in the country through microchipping. Wandsworth Council agrees with him and is now the first council in the country to introduce compulsory dog microchipping on its council estates.

Those who don't register for the scheme are potentially in breach of their tenancy conditions and could even face losing their property as a result. David also visits a dog sanctuary where some of these dangerous dogs have ended up. For those dogs that have been trained to be aggressive by irresponsible owners, this is the end of the road. The sanctuary has no option but to put them to sleep.