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Newspaper in spat with dog lovers over campaign

A newspaper campaign which encouraged people to report dangerous dogs has prompted an angry response from canine lovers.

The News Shopper’s Shop A Dog campaign was launched after the newspaper carried a number of stories on people being attacked by dangerous dogs in South East London and Kent.

The campaign asks for increased prison sentences for owners of banned or dangerous dogs and also made demands for Staffordshire Bull Terriers to be forced to wear muzzles in public.

Free mugs are also offered to anyone who sends in a photo of a banned dog.

Since the launch of the campaign the Shopper has run a series of features on dangerous dogs, the latest being one published on Monday about a schoolboy being attacked by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier in Greenwich.

But it has promoted a backlash, predominantly from owners of Staffordshire Bull Terriers, who say the campaign is giving the animals a bad name.

Some members of staff at the title have also been verbally abused, according to editor Richard Firth.

The article announcing the campaign launch prompted 243 online comments from readers and an angry letter from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in which it said it was very disappointed with the campaign.

The letter read: “By encouraging Staffordshire Bull Terriers to be seen as dangerous, your campaign is fuelling the abuse and abandonment of a much-maligned breed which does not deserve its negative reputation.”

Comments on the story included: “This is just a witch hunt. There is currently a bill going through parliament to make owners more accountable for their dogs. The news shopper is obviously trying to get some cheap publicity. Do some real journalism.”

In a comment piece, editor of the paper Richard Firth said that since the campaign was launched the newspaper has covered stories of further attacks and has received excellent support form readers, along with constructive criticism from people who do not agree with ‘Shop A Dog.’

However, he said a minority of people had become abusive and aggressive towards staff for drawing attention to the problem.

Said Richard: “A couple of people accused us of hating dogs – they either haven’t read the campaign or they’ve completely failed to understand the motives for it.

“Some even went as far as to contact some of our advertisers to try to persuade them not to advertise with News Shopper while this campaign was going on.

“Fortunately, our clients are more sensible than this handful of thoughtless individuals who would much rather attempt to abuse and intimidate than enter into a reasoned debate.”

He added that the paper would not ‘bow to pressure’ and would continue to draw attention to such issues.

11 comments

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  • November 10, 2011 at 8:35 am
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    If Battersea dogs home thinks the campaign is misguided shouldn’t that sound warning bells on the newsdesk. I thought newspapers were supposed to reflect readers opinions so why launch a campaign against the Staffie – South London’s favourite dog!

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  • November 10, 2011 at 9:58 am
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    Surely the campaign should focus on shopping the irresponsible owners, not the dogs. It isn’t their fault that their owner happens to be a moron.

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  • November 10, 2011 at 10:37 am
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    Can’t stand dogs myself, but calling for a “reasoned debate” seems a bit rich given the blood-stained snarling Devil Dog campaign logo.

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  • November 10, 2011 at 11:08 am
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    Think the paper has, quite understandably, tiptoed round this issue and ended up going in the wrong direction. Dogs are not responsible for who buys them, trains them to be vicious, then lets them loose in a park among youngsters. ‘Shop A Moron’ would be a better campaign but, of course, is also fraught with legal problems. Dogs can’t sue.

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  • November 10, 2011 at 2:14 pm
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    I agree with steve – the campaign should be based more towards the owners. I have a ‘Staffy’ who is afraid of his own shadow and incredibly soft. It’s totally unfair to tarnish the whole breed. I don’t think Staffordshire Bull Terriers will ever shake off their perceived image and reputation

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  • November 10, 2011 at 2:49 pm
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    I might add one of my brothers had a Staffordshire bull terrier for years. It was built like a mini-rhino and was as strong as an ox. Very placid and gentle, too, until an Alsation picked a fight with it. Very different story then. Almost tore one of its attacker’s legs off. Exit a very chastened – and badly injured – Alsation.

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  • November 10, 2011 at 3:14 pm
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    Once again Staffys are being bad-mouthed and persecuted by people who quite clearly know nothing about the breed! I am the very proud owner of 2 Staffords and also parent to 3 children. I trust my dogs implicitly and they are both fantastic with kids. Unfortunately as always the dogs are given a bad name by a small majority of mindless idiots who pick these dogs as their “weapon of choice”!

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  • November 10, 2011 at 3:27 pm
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    Well at least they sought to downplay it with a nice, reasoned logo…..

    oh.

    I have never owned a dog but not sure that you can call a debate reasoned using a picture of dog snarling and havng blood dripping from its mouth.

    I think Mr Firth was eager for a campaign and jumped on the wrong one.

    A sensible campaign could have brought together awareness of dangerous dogs to the people who matter, the owners. Staffs do not, as far as I know, roam the streets on their own looking for victims.

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  • November 10, 2011 at 4:41 pm
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    WOW. When will the media’s witch hunt on dogs that LOOK a certain way end?

    This is irresponsible reporting and biased reporting at the highest level. Every dog owner should be upset. Once they have gotten rid of these dogs YOUR dog WILL be next.

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  • November 10, 2011 at 5:48 pm
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    I agree with Biff about the picture not exactly backing up the editor’s reasoned debate argument.

    The campaign really should make it clear the target is bad dog owners, not the dogs themselves. That way the good dog owners who read the paper are much more likely to support it.

    Besides, virtually any dog is capable of attack, even the softest old Lab. It is not just Staffies.

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