UNDER the Dangerous Dog Act there are five dog breeds currently banned in the UK.
One of those breeds is the Tosa Inu.
What is a Tosa Inu?
Originating from Japan, these dogs are incredibly rare and were bred in Tosa, Shikoku (modern-day Kochi).
They started their existence as the Shikoku-Inu but we then crossbred with European dog breeds such as Old English Bulldog, English Mastiff, Bull Terrier and Great Dane.
This was done to create a bigger, more powerful breed of dog.
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Are Tosa Inu dogs illegal?
There is an incredibly limited list of banned dogs.
One such breed is the Tosa Inu, or Japanese Tosa as it is referred to on the government website.
It is against the law to sell, abandon, give away or breed from a banned dog.
If you have a banned dog, the police or local council dog warden can take it away and keep it"
Gov Website
The police do have the power to take such a dog away from you in a public place but in a private place, authorities would require a warrant.
It is worth noting that if they have a warrant for something else, they can still seize the dog.
After the dog has been examined by an expert, it will either be kept in kennels while the police apply to the court or released.
Once in court, the owner has to prove the dog is not a banned breed and if successful, the dog will be returned.
But if the dog is deemed to be a dangerous type or the owner pleads guilty, they could face an unlimited fine or up to six months in prison as well as the dog being put down.
In some instances, the court may decide that although the dog is banned, it is not a danger to the public.
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It comes after eleven horrific attacks in 1991, Home Secretary Kenneth Baker promised "to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs" by introducing the Dangerous Dogs Act.
The law is often considered controversial as it focuses on a dog's breed or looks instead of an individual dog's behaviour, and fails to stem the rise of dog attacks.
According to the RSPCA, over a third of the people killed by dogs since the act was brought in were attacked by legal breeds.
Where do Tosa Inu dogs come from?
In Japan, these dogs were bred purely for fighting purposes.
They are the only breed still used legally in the country for Japanese dog fighting.
Back in the early 1900s, there were around 5,000 breeders of the Tosa Inu dog.
Globally, they are banned in 18 different countries, with the United Kingdom and Ireland being two.
While they are quiet, calm and relaxed to the naked eye they can turn quite quickly if aroused.
If the dog is not trained and socialised properly, it can be aggressive towards strangers.
It is not recommended for families with children and other pets.
Some are capable of pulling over 3000 pounds.
Purely bred for blood sports, Japanese rules stated that dogs could not make any noise in the pit, with these dogs capable of fighting silently.
There is no need for anyone to have this breed of dog in this country and let's be frank, who can control a dog capable of pulling such weights?
They have incredibly short life spans, only living around 10 years and an incredibly high number are crippled by bone and joint diseases.
