Breed-specific legislation for dogs - RSPCA says pointless

[John R]

These laws have been around for almost a decade in some parts of Oz.
How much will rate payers pay for councils to keep challenging laws that the RSPCA say are pointless vs mitigation of dog attacks?

"Councils are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars defending court cases brought by dog owners challenging Victoria's controversial restricted breeds laws.

The laws are ''a dog's breakfast'', said Monash mayor Geoff Lake. ''These laws are clumsy, unscientific and subjective. It's unsatisfactory from a council point of view, dog owners are being denied fundamental justice and fairness and it leaves the community exposed because it's not working.''

Monash council has spent almost $100,000 on several court challenges over a single dog, which it declared a pit bull in 2012."

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/c...fees-over-banned-dog-laws-20140420-36ywx.html

 

[winston wolf]

So this is really a political question.
What did you sate PM say? What did your local councilmen say?

 

[John R]

not political at all Winston but I would like lower council rates! (I'll send a letter & let you know what they say )
What sparked my interest was yet another law that has been around for quite a while, still stirring up controversy and losing support of the RSPCA and Lost Dogs' Home.
My sister had a beloved pit bull terrier cross in Perth until a couple of years ago. she followed the law but it was quite easy because she already had 'beware of dog' signage on her semi-rural property,etc.

 

[procrastinasian]

Hi John,

I caught this thread late but I found it intriguing.

This has been an issue in Canada as well (specifically Ontario, the Province I am from). I believe the case was Cochrane v Ontario. The trial judge basically ruled that despite the evidence of restricted dog breeds being conflicting and ambiguous, it was still sufficient to show a reasonable apprehension of harm. It was brought up to the Supreme Court who basically upheld the pitbull ban legislation.

The legal costs I can imagine must really suck for an issue like this, but in Canada, our public concern prevails despite a majority's relative lack of knowledge on dog ownership. I think it's given that the population of dog owners who understand animal behaviour is grossly disproportional to the ones who don't and have access to Fox television that shows TV specials like "When Dogs Attack."

Perhaps something must be done on general education of the issue to push your executive to make a more concrete change?

Good post. I have friends who are still trying to contest this issue even in 2015.