'Dogs are what their owners make them' - 12 things you said about Staffies as Government rejects calls to add them to Dangerous Dogs list

Readers have been sharing their stories of life with Staffordshire Bull Terriers
Pictures: Lynn Robbins, June Martin, Glenn Menzies and Katie Biggs.Pictures: Lynn Robbins, June Martin, Glenn Menzies and Katie Biggs.
Pictures: Lynn Robbins, June Martin, Glenn Menzies and Katie Biggs.

Described by many of you as "loving" and "brilliant" dogs, the Government has rejected calls from PETA to add the breed to the Dangerous Dogs List. The animal rights charity had argued that it wanted to protect the breed from gangs, crime and abuse with its proposal.

A counter-petition, from Staffy owner Steve Quinn, urged our Government to reject PETA's recommendation. After discussion in parliament, the Government agreed not to add Staffies to the banned list.

Pictures: Lynn Robbins, June Martin, Glenn Menzies and Katie Biggs.Pictures: Lynn Robbins, June Martin, Glenn Menzies and Katie Biggs.
Pictures: Lynn Robbins, June Martin, Glenn Menzies and Katie Biggs.
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Some of you contacted the Mail on social media to share your own stories of growing up with a Staffy in the family and having one of the dogs in your life.

Here's how you reacted to the story on social media:

Margaret Russell: "Dogs are what their owners make them."

Mick Cholmondeley: "Good! never met a dangerous Staffy yet."

Picture: Nicola Hewitson.Picture: Nicola Hewitson.
Picture: Nicola Hewitson.

Amy-leigh Norris: "A Staffy launched at my face when I was walking past some shops as a kid I had to have stitches in my face! At the time we had our own Staffy at home and he was just the loveliest, most gentle dog ever. All breeds can be dangerous if brought up the wrong way."

Bev Lincoln: "Common sense prevailed. Good owners = Good dogs."

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Patricia Minto: "All been softies the ones I know, it's the owners."

Norma Brown: "I should think so, my daughter has had a Staffy for 13 years and she wouldn't hurt a fly, she is gorgeous."

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Read more: Government rejects call to add Staffies to Dangerous Dogs list

Kim Fryer: "I've never had a Staffy but I've been around the people that do and they're the most loving, loyal, chattiest happy dog breeds I've known. They're awesome. Don't judge a book by its cover please."

Glenn Menzies: "Lovely dogs had my boy for seven years now and he was six weeks when I got him and my youngest was six month they're never apart it is not the dogs it's the way they are brought up."

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Nicola Hewitson: "Our Staff is 16! She's the loveliest dog ever. Please don't judge them by a minority of bad owners ... and to be fair any dog is capable of harm."

June Hansen: "Owners are the problem, same as bringing a child up the wrong way."

Lynn Robbins: "Our Staffy died last October due to old age, soft as you like she was, loved my granddaughter to bits, nanny dogs they are."

Julie Gaffney: "Beautiful dogs with humans but some are unpredictable with other dogs. Still I suppose all breeds can be if not socialised properly."