Immunization dog laws & more

This has also turned into a In-Laws rant...sorry

BACKGROUND:
My SIL's boyfriend got a pit bull puppy a few weeks ago. Less than a week after he got put in jail, again  and my SIL had the dog. As with everything else she does, she is making my in-laws care for the dog. My MIL is TERRIFIED of dogs, so it is only allowed in the utility room of the house. Because it started to chew on things (it is around 8 weeks old- could be teething?) from being kept up, they keep it in a cage for most of the day, apart from a couple hours in their small garden.

We went over to see them yesterday and my FIL was saying the dog was getting nippy and was constantly trying to bite my 4yo niece. I asked him what he did, and he said it wasn't really harming her so nothing. I also asked how much they were taking him for walks and he has never been on one. My FIL said it is against the law to walk your dog without proper immunizations.

SO..
I have read all the dog laws and it seems like they can walk him as long as he has tags, which he should have if he is a pit bull (otherwise breaking some dangerous dog laws-not being registered).

I also read that at 8 weeks, they are old enough for immunizations, as they can have almost all of them at 9. My FIL said that they can't have any until they are 3-4 months old.

I found how they are treating this poor dog to be borderline abusive. Yesterday, I told them that they should start exercise and training the dog, because locking him up all day and ignoring him is going to make him be aggressive. My FIL said that you "shouldn't have to train dogs, he's just chewing on things because he is a bad breed of dog".

My husband and I begged them to take him to the RSPCA or put an ad in the paper to give him away but they won't do it because my SIL wants to keep it for when her bf gets out of jail. Based on his charges, the dog probably won't be alive when he does. Of course, SIL won't look after the dog herself, because she couldn't possibly be inconvenienced by a situation she created. We are not able to have dogs in our flat and we don't have friends that have leases that allow dogs.

We talked about calling the RSPCA and saying that they have this dog they aren't taking care of, but we don't really feel like starting a family argument. Plus, we are applying to be foster parents, and having our nearest relatives with abuse charges on record would probably not help us.

We are going to try to sit them down and talk to them again, to try to get them to either treat the dog fairly or to give it up ASAP.

Basically, I just want to know if anyone has any further info on immunization dog laws I can give to my in laws or any advice in what to do in this situation.

Sorry for the long post!

Oh great.  This dog is going to bite someone because hes not been socialized properly and will be euthanized.  Does your SIL want that?  This post has absolutely infuriated me and further reminds me why I like dogs more than people.  Personally, I'd call the RSPCA myself and report the neglect.  At least the dog will stand a chance of being rehomed while he is still a puppy.  

But... to answer your actual question. There are no legal requirements for vaccinations in the UK.  Although, the concern shouldnt be only about the law - it should be about the health of the dog.  You can and should vaccinate a puppy at both 8 weeks and 10 or 12 weeks, depending on which vaccine is used. These vaccines take about 10 days (from the second dose) to become effective and the dog should be kept from other dogs (and from walks) during this time.  

Oh great.  This dog is going to bite someone because hes not been socialized properly and will be euthanized.  Does your SIL want that?  This post has absolutely infuriated me and further reminds me why I like dogs more than people.  Personally, I'd call the RSPCA myself and report the neglect.  At least the dog will stand a chance of being rehomed while he is still a puppy.  

Yes. I agree. I would call the RSPCA or I would steal the dog in the night and take it to the RSPCA. The poor thing is a victim and I hate seeing that.

Regarding fostering, surely you would be able to tell them that you were the ones who rescued the dog. That shows compassion, kindness, etc. all good qualities for fostering.

Andy

Oh great.  This dog is going to bite someone because hes not been socialized properly and will be euthanized.

Thanks so much for making me feel like I am NOT overreacting! I told my FIL this same thing. He kind of just said that they are aggressive dogs, its not the owners fault.

I kind of freaked out last night when I found out about all of this and got really upset, but wanted to make sure my initial feelings that my in-laws were not treating the dog properly had some kind of substantial evidence to show them that what they are doing is wrong.

I gathered the additional information about vets in the area and registering dogs, as well as the RSPCA phone numbers and address and going to give it to them tonight. We decided to tell my SIL if she doesn't take care of this, we will call the proper people on Friday to pick up the dog.

I miss having a dog so much, and it aggravates me even more when people who are lucky enough to have them don't want to take care of them.

Thanks so much for making me feel like I am NOT overreacting! I told my FIL this same thing. He kind of just said that they are aggressive dogs, its not the owners fault.

My opinion of this is that some breeds have a genetic tendency towards aggressiveness, but an owner can either reinforce that behaviour or choose not to.

I've personally seen Rottweilers as docile service dogs for example.

Andy

I mostly agree with you Andy, but lets not start a nature v nurture discussion here.

Thanks so much for making me feel like I am NOT overreacting! I told my FIL this same thing. He kind of just said that they are aggressive dogs, its not the owners fault.

How about this tactic then?  Let him believe that. Agree with him and reinforce that belief. Tell him that the "aggressive nature" of the dog is why you should surrender it to the RSPCA. 

My boss used to work for a rescue organisation and they couldn't take an animal unless it was on the verge of death.

For instance, neighbour A called about a horse that was not being fed and it was clearly malnourished, but because A had been feeding the horse the rescue org couldn't take it because someone was feeding it.     The argument being maybe the owners would do it, if A wasn't.  So they had to let it go hungry. 

I'm not sure they will be able to come and get it. 

Pit Bulls are one of the banned breeds in the UK

"You may not own, breed from, sell,
give away or abandon any banned dog.
The police may seize your dog if they think
it is a banned type.

The maximum penalty for possessing a
banned dog is a fine of £5,000, or six
months’ imprisonment, or both.

Some of these dogs can be exempted from
the ban, but only where a court gives
permission for this."
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/cruelty/documents/ddogslawyouleaflet.pdf

The law refers to four kinds of dog which
are banned:
• Pit Bull Terrier
• Japanese Tosa
• Dogo Argentino
• Fila Braziliero
While it is the characteristics of a dog which
are most important in judging whether it is
banned, such dogs may be called by a
number of names.
Pit Bull type dogs can be called:
• American Staffordshire Terriers
(Am Staffs)
• Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier (ISBT)
• Irish Blue or Red Nose
Also, some kinds of American Bulldogs have
been found to be Pit Bulls.

If it really is a pit and not a staffie, they might just seize and destroy since they can't legally rehome the dog.  Perhaps that is why they won't take it out for a walk.

If it really is a pit and not a staffie, they might just seize and destroy since they can't legally rehome the dog.  Perhaps that is why they won't take it out for a walk.

There should be no banned breeds in the UK now as they should have all died out since the DDA came in. In the more dubious circles, pit bulls are seen as a status symbol for the self proclaimed 'hard man', so they are still around.

Lots of councils are now having a big crackdown on removing these types of dogs from their homes. London is one of the areas being very active in this:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8681520.stm

Went to my in-laws last night with a whole bunch of information on immunization facts & costs, local vets, plus the dangerous dog laws. We also got all this info on proper care & training of a dog.

Luckily just before we arrived the puppy jumped up on my MIL and freaked her out, so she wanted it out of their house. My husband and I gave them all the info and stressed how much work it will take from both of them to make sure the dog was properly cared for and wouldn't attack them or their 4 year old granddaughter. It was enough to make my MIL tell my SIL the dog was not welcome in the house and after a lot of complaining on her part, they managed to find a friend of a friend who wanted a dog.

There should be no banned breeds in the UK now as they should have all died out since the DDA came in. In the more dubious circles, pit bulls are seen as a status symbol for the self proclaimed 'hard man', so they are still around.

Lots of councils are now having a big crackdown on removing these types of dogs from their homes. London is one of the areas being very active in this:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8681520.stm

I thought it was a Staffie at first, but my SIL said it was a pit bull. She also said it was legal and had papers, but the papers were at her bf's house. I have no doubt in my mind her bf wanted the dog to look cool, so him being away is probably the best for this poor dog.

And knowing my in-laws they were more not walking the dog because they don't feel like doing it rather than worried about it's safety. Not even my DH thought his parents would properly care for & train the dog. This is also the 3rd animal my SIL had that she passed on to them to take care of, so I am actually really proud that my MIL actually got the guts to stand up to her for the first time in 25 years.

Thanks for your help!