I have been following this for awhile now and it makes me so angry!!! The Breed Specific Legislation is trotted around and claims to be 'helping save the population from dog attacks and bites". What it is really doing is breeding misinformation about dogs and breeds and useing scaremongerouing tactics to 'try' to fix a problem that education would easily fix!!!
http://bslaustralia.org/
http://www.dogslife.com.au/dogs_life_articles?cid=9446&pid=146514
http://www.leabashiba.com/bsl_in_australia.htm
http://www.defendingdog.com/index.html
Some websites that can be visited to get some more information about this BSL.
For people who do not know, the German Shepard, a dog that is now claimed to be an awsome breed for kids, was banned as a dangerous (viscous) dog breed in Australia from 1929 to 1979.
Under the BSL it would not be too far of a stretch to see many breeds banned. On the website DefendingDog it actually states the breed that my dog is half of - Irish WolfHound.
My dog is a border collie cross wolfhound. MY dog!? My innocent, loving, dopey, crybaby sook of a dog might very well be put on the dangerous dog breeds list??? What does that really mean though? Does it REALLY matter if Wolfhounds/Pit Bulls/ Rotties/American Staffordshire Terrier/Boxer/Siberian Husky/Rhodesian Ridgeback/Great Dane/(the list can go on!) are put onto the dangerous breeds list?
Well the rules for dangerous breeds are as follows:
Rules of keeping a restricted breed
So what exactly is this legislation which produces such grief and devastation in Australia? Each state has only slightly differing specifications in its legislation. For instance, under the NSW Companion Animal Act 1998, an owner of a restricted breed must ensure:
• The dog is kept in a child-proof enclosure
• The dog is at no time in the sole charge of a person under 18
• One or more signs on their property must display "Warning Dangerous Dog"
• When in public the dog is leashed or chained with a muzzle
• The guardians must notify the council if the dog has attacked or injured a person, is lost, has died, changed ownership or moved.
• Owners of restricted breeds who do not comply can be fined up to $5500. On top of that, the dog can be seized by an authorised officer who can enter your property and the dog can then be sold or destroyed within 14 days unless the officer is satisfied the council’s requirements are met. In this case, you have just 14 days to move house or build the necessary enclosures.
Which means that I would not be able to keep my dog. I do not have a huge fence, it most certinaly is not 'child proof'. And as a renter I would not be able to make those changes to the fence. My sister, who owns a (who knows what breed! dane/mastiff/ridgeback/thing) would not be able to leave her own child, the child the dog is growing up with, at home with the dog when the child is 14/15, as it would be classified as a dangerous breed. If she were to leave her child at home with the dog, and was found out, would be facing up to $5500 in fines. And the possibility, like myself, to have the dog put down.
And why is all this happening? Because people seem to think animals are property, that animals are just to be bought as cute puppies/kittens and played with until they are adults and left in the backyard with no toys, no companionship and no love. People seem to think that because we are bigger than these animals that training them does not matter. Training takes too long, is too tiring or costs too much money so why bother? It's only a dog. People that make a purchase of a dog on a whim, because the kids 'want one'. People that make no time investment into looking into what breed would suit them best, what type of dog that would stuit their lifestyle and home/work life.
This is happenieng because of our own laziness and carelessness. Children (and adults) are getting hurt because of US. It is not the dogs fault, it is the humans fault, and the humans must pay the price, not the dogs.
Now don't get me wrong, I do believe that if your dog attacks/injurys/maims someone, then something needs to happen, TO YOU. A full police investigation should be carried out to find out exactly what happened and then you should be judged before a court and sentenced. Owning a dog should not be taken lighlty, and if you fail in your ownership, than your failure should not be taken lightly either. You do the crime, you pay the price for it. What happens to the dog? I do not claim to have all the answers. I do not claim to know how to fix the problem either.
However, I do know that this will not be the answer. This BSL will only cause more problems. And it will cause heartache for resposible pet owners like myself. And I would fight for my rights for my dog with all my heart. Because for me, and for lots of pet owners out there, they are not just dogs, they are part of the family. They are my children. I have seen them grow, learn and turn into fine creatures. They rely on me to provide a safe, loving environment for them, and I give that to them, and will continue to do so. That is our responsibility.
