Charlie Birch

LOADED GUN explores a new approach to rehabilitation demonstrating how dogs can potentially be the unlikely crutch that many are missing, helping to bring a sense of purpose into young offenders lives. In a climate filled with mental health awareness campaigns and rising male suicide rates, this anthropological view of a scouser and his dogs grew into an observational story of healing.

The documentary short that accompanies the book helps depict the environment in which the dogs are everything he has, true companions. He mentions towards the end of the interview the dogs potential for brutality and how that’s due to them being raised incorrectly, it comes down to nature vs nurture.

There’s many people in the UK in JJ’s position – dealt a bad hand in life – without anyone to guide them or offer assistance. These breeds, which constitute as ‘Dangerous dogs’ under the UK’s dangerous dogs act offer that assistance, and don’t deserve to be labeled and disregarded from the get go.

It leaves us with one question,
Who is the loaded gun?