From a very early age we’re taught never to judge a book by its cover.
Casting aspersions on people or animals based purely on looks is a horrible practise, and, not to put too fine a point on it, the wrong way to live your life.
Tragically, whilst society as a whole has come on leaps and bounds when it comes to judging people by their appearance, we’ve apparently got some way to go where animals are concerned.
The friendly, adorably cute dog you’re about to read about was named Bailey. He was ordered put to sleep for nothing more than the crime of looking the way he did …
We're disappointed that, despite the evidence, the UK Government still believes the prohibition of dogs like Bailey is necessary to protect public safety, so they must be euthanased based on the way they look. We will keep up the fight to #EndBSL: https://t.co/TKM05bJFSY pic.twitter.com/DISrVyd8om
— RSPCA (England & Wales) (@RSPCA_official) January 28, 2019
According to the Mirror, the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) put what happened to Bailey down to an “outdated and ineffective law”.
The organization’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Caroline Allen, described the dog as being extremely friendly and gentle, and yet he was ordered to be put to sleep because of the way he looks.
We're always taught to never judge someone based on their looks, but this adorably cute and friendly dog named Bailey was ordered to be put to sleep because of the way he looks. It's all because of what the RSPCA called an 'outdated and ineffective' law https://t.co/5G9hJEhCta
— Police Alerts UK (@PoliceAlertsUk) February 2, 2019
Heartbreakingly, it’s said he spent his final few hours on earth playing with the staff at the RSPCA.
“Bailey was a lovely, friendly, happy dog,” Carol said.
“He was gentle and kind, playful and fun-loving. In any other circumstances, we’d have helped him get better, sent him to one of our rehoming centers and found him a wonderful family to spend the rest of his life with. But Bailey’s life was tragically and unfairly cut short due to BSL.”
The BSL
The BSL (Breed Specific Legislation), also known as the Dangerous Dogs Act, requires dogs deemed as being dangerous breeds in Britain to be put to sleep.
Dr. Sam Gaines, RSPCA dog welfare expert, said: “Bailey’s story is heartbreaking and, sadly, it’s one I hear all too often. These are dogs who have shown no signs of aggressive behavior and given no indications that they would be unsuitable for rehoming. They pose no risk to public safety but are labeled ‘dangerous’ simply because they look a certain way. They’ve scored a certain number of ticks on a checklist and that has sealed their fate.
“BSL is an outdated, ineffective and unjust piece of legislation that urgently needs replacing. We need to change this law not only to save the lives of thousands of more dogs like Bailey but also to better protect public safety.”
In 2017 alone, 81 dogs were put to sleep based upon appearance alone.
This is simply not right. In this day and age we should NOT be killing dogs based purely on their appearance.
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