A debate will be held in parliament today to decide whether Staffordshire Bull Terriers should be added to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
If it is decided that they are dangerous and should be added to the banned list, it will make owning Staffies effectively illegal to own or breed in the UK.
This debate comes after animal rights campaign group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a consultation after which they decided to ask that the breed be banned.
They say that this is because they are often abused and left abandoned. They argue that the easiest way to stop this is to put an end to Staffies being bred in the UK.
A PETA statement reads: "Staffies are currently flooding UK animal shelters and have become by far the most commonly abandoned breed of dog in the country.
"They're also one of the most abused - in fact, the RSPCA has confirmed that 80 per cent of its cruelty-to-animals prosecutions concern Staffies. The breed is also the most likely to be abducted and used by criminal gangs for fighting rings or as guard dogs.
"Given how vulnerable these dogs are to abuse, neglect, and abandonment, why would anyone fight the introduction of legislation that would prevent people from bringing more of them into a world that treats many so cruelly?"
However, more than 160,000 people have now signed a petition to stop the dogs being banned. The petition claims that banning certain breeds of dog is not an effective way to stop dog attacks or abuse.
It reads: "PETA, an organisation that is meant to be dedicated to protecting animals, has proposed to the UK government that it should add Staffordshire Bull Terriers to the Dangerous Dogs Act, effectively banning them outright.
"Breed Specific Legislation is not the solution to the problem of dog attacks."
The debate is being held because the petition picked up more than 100,000 signatures online. Every petition that receives more than 100,000 must be debated in the House of Commons by Members of Parliament.
It has been reported on Stoke Live that the petition was set up by Staffordshire man Steven Quinn. He claims that Staffies are loyal and loving pets just the same as any dog, and that dangerous dogs are created by owners, not because they are of a specific breed.
He said: "Many people in the UK today have the pleasure of owning a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. As one of these people I can recommend them as being loving, loyal and caring, far from dangerous they are great companions.
"It would be a terrible tragedy for the dog lovers of the UK to lose the right to own one of these great companions. We are calling on Parliament to save our Staffies and not have them banned as dangerous dogs, because they are not.
"People create dangerous dogs, people are the problem."
The Act has already banned the Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasiliero, and the Japanese Tosa.
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