Middlesbrough campaigner fight against law that seizes and euthanises dogs based on their looks

• Video report by Katie Cole.

Campaigners have launched a fight against legislation that sentences dogs to death due to the way they look.

National animal charity Blue Cross joined forces with a Middlesbrough dog owner, who had her life turned upside down by the Dangerous Dogs Act, prohibiting her from keeping her well-loved and well-behaved dog.

Anita Mehdi says it's a scandal that pets are still being seized and euthanised because of the way they look.

In 2019, police turned up at 56-year-old's home and took away the family American bulldog/Staffordshire bull terrier cross, Lola.

Suspected of being a banned type, Lola was seized by the police and spent significant time in kennels whilst being assessed.

After a court hearing, Lola returned home two days later after magistrates placed her on the exemption list.

• Why is the legislation so controversial?

Section One of the Dangerous Dogs Act relates to Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) declares that if a dog simply looks like one of the banned breed types, it can be seized and euthanised based on head and body measurements alone.

Campaigners say that this doesn't consider the dog's actual breed, behaviour, or personality - meaning healthy and affectionate dogs can be sentenced to death unnecessarily.

Four types of dogs traditionally bred for fighting were banned in the Act following people being attacked, and in some cases killed. 

A spokesperson from DEFRA said: "Public safety is at the heart of the Dangerous Dogs Act, which is why it places restrictions on four types of dogs traditionally bred for fighting purposes.

"These dogs are crossbreeds – and therefore their identification is based on physical characteristics which are assessed by a specially trained police officer.

"The legislation allows individual dogs to be kept subject to certain conditions if a court judges they are not a risk to public safety.”