Unleashed
The Phenomena of Status Dogs and Weapon Dogs
Distributed for Policy Press at the University of Bristol
Drawing on evidence from both sides of the Atlantic, Simon Harding explores the culture of the status dog in Unleashed. In housing projects in the United States and United Kingdom, certain dog breeds convey status—authority, respect, power, and control—on their owners, while urban street gangs have developed the dangerous practice of training dogs to be weapons. Combining perspectives from sociology, criminology, and public policy, Harding contextualizes these related phenomena and considers the complex mix of factors motivating them, including urban deprivation, social control of public space, and the influence of media imagery.
List of abbreviations
About the author
Acknowledgements
Foreword by David Grant, Director, RSPCA Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital
Introduction
1. Methodological challenges of researching status dogs
2. Who let the dogs out? The new phenomenon of status dogs
3. Status dogs: myth or menace?
4. Motivations and characteristics of owners
5. Presenting the evidence
6. Off the chain: the issue of dog fighting
7. Implications of status dogs in public space
8. Responses to the issue of status dogs
9. Conclusion
Bibliography
Appendix A: Dangerous dog legislation, controversies and debates
Appendix B: Status dog data from RSPCA, MPS and research findings
Appendix C: Disposals of status dogs by Metropolitan Police Service
Appendix D: Legal costs
Appendix E: Defra consultation, 2010
You may purchase this title at these fine bookstores. Outside the USA, see our international sales information.
