Jet's Furkid Palace: I don't like it - let's BAN it! Breed Specific Legislation in Australia

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I don't like it - let's BAN it! Breed Specific Legislation in Australia

Ever get sick of having the same argument over and over again, with people who you thought were otherwise reasonable and logical thinkers?
There was recently a tragic dog attack in Melbourne where a toddler was killed. This kind of emotive reporting from The Australian newspaper about the issue has the public calling, once again, for a breed ban. The article itself states the dog was a pitbull cross but doesn't state how it was identified, and it recounts other recent serious dog attacks which involved Bull-Mastiff crosses, pig hunting dogs and a Siberian Husky.

This kind of reporting, with the typical emotive quote from someone who is far from a dog expert, is very common here:

"I don't mind saying I hate seeing these dogs walking the streets," Superintendent Graham Kent said. "They look mean -- they usually are."

The proposed solution - banning all pitbulls and pitbull crosses is a reflection of a society where if anything upsets enough people - it is banned or heavily regulated. Pitbulls are already heavily regulated. They must be sterilised, there are requirements about the houses they are kept in, they must be on leash and muzzled at all times in public. They can not be imported. These rules mean that for pitbulls to even exist in Australia in the first place, they have come from shadowy corners of society. They have a reputation for being stoic, fierce and loyal and that is why shadowy people want them.
If there were no pitbulls (or dogs that look like pitbulls but aren't necessarily), another powerful, stoic, guarding type breed would become the favorite of these people - Rottweilers perhaps, or Dobermanns, and they would be the next dog on the banned list.
Some argue that tougher criminal penalties should apply to the owners of dogs that attack unprovoked. That may well be the case, but another route that is available is the civil one - sue for compensation. That is a route that is available in the here and now. Then the facts of the case can be examined in the open light of day instead of a partial story being trumpeted by an emotion fuelling media who are just in it to get more hits to their webpages.

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houndstooth4 82p · 709 weeks ago

What a sad incident for the family to have to deal with. I often wonder, if people looked at the breeds of dogs who actually bite the most, if they'd rethink their opinions. My bet is that Chihuahuas and Labradors are highest on the list, partially because they outnumber other breeds so strongly. I think a lot, but certainly not all, of incidents could be avoided if people just practiced and taught common sense, both as dog owners and as people who approach dogs.

1 reply · active 709 weeks ago

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jetsagenda 82p · 709 weeks ago

very sad! The circumstances (as described by the media) also very shocking, as the dog managed somehow to get into the toddler's house (belonged to a nearby neighbour). All this knee jerk baying for the blood of 'pitbulls' everywhere as a result is just getting on my nerves. :P

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wyatt · 709 weeks ago

I hate all this BSL, it makes me so sad. It's the people, not the dogs! I have been bitten in my life by a Cocker Spaniel and a German Shephard...where do we draw the line with breeds?

Wyatt's Mom

1 reply · active 709 weeks ago

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jetsagenda 82p · 709 weeks ago

So true. Bender has been bitten by a Staffie X, an English Bulldog, and a Irish Wolfhound X.... the first two escaped from their yards to attack him while he was on leash. The Bulldog's owner was absolutely feral and yelled at me for kicking her dog to get him off my dog's face, and then threatened to let him out again like he was a weapon.

The Wolfhound X bit him because Bender was fetching his ball and was ignoring it, and the Wolfhound did not want to be ignored. The Wolfhound's owner immediately retrieved her dog and was very apologetic and put it back on leash - I never saw it off leash there again. Owners need to be aware of the limitations of the control they have over their dogs. The Wolfhound's owner made a mistake, and she admitted it, though I saw the wolfhound harrassing Bender and now when I see that happening I remove him from the situation.

Instead of banning breeds we need more education so that at least well meaning owners can understand their own dogs better and can potentially prevent situations with other dogs before they start.

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Desma McLeod · 709 weeks ago

Any dog bite is tragic and we can't dismiss the trauma the family has gone through. My heart goes out to the family - it would have been terrifying.

However, BSL does not work. End of story.

Before BSL came in, Dr Kersti Seksel wrote a report saying as much and she was totally ignored. I'm presuming it is because people in power are wanting to be seen to be doing something, where in actuality education is the key.

BSL does not reduce bite statistics - which is what the aim of it is. Barely 25 years ago German Shepherds came off the restricted list and were 'legal' again.

There is a great little statistics book about the danger of dogs Dogs bite but balloons and slippers are more dangerous" written by Janis Bradley. http://www.dogstardaily.com/storefront/dogs-bite-....

In my opinion, the BENEFIT of dogs far outweighs the risk.

1 reply · active 709 weeks ago

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jetsagenda 82p · 709 weeks ago

And the risk can be mitigated with education, not bans. I didn't know about the GSD ban, but someone mentioned it on Facebook today!

Thanks for the link! That book looks very useful. Not that reason will make much of a difference in this debate. Well, if you can call being caught up in a whirling, screaming tornado of public hysteria a debate!

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Greyhounds CAN Sit · 709 weeks ago

What a horrifying and tragic experience for this poor family. The culprits are the owners of the dog, not the dog. BSL isn't going to bring back that little girl but education and registration of owners might prevent some people from being attacked/killed in the future? But I guess if having dogs registered can't be enforced how would the 'powers that be' keep track of which owners are registered?

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Kirsten Stade · 709 weeks ago

Dog bites are terrifying but it is absolutely tragic that bully-type dogs get blamed for them way out of proportion to their culpability. Without exception, the big, huge, muscular pitties I've fostered and had in my training classes have incredibly soft mouths and amazing bite inhibition. I'm way more scared of the shihtzus and bichons I have to groom!

BSL is such a load of BS. Thanks for this great post helping us toward awareness :)
Kirsten
follow my foster adventures at www.peacefuldog.blogspot.com

1 reply · active 709 weeks ago

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jetsagenda 82p · 709 weeks ago

Hi! Following you now, your blog looks great.

I'm thinking that bite inhibition is another one of those nurture not nature things. Usually the dog's mother teaches bite inhibition, but Bender was bottle fed as he was dumped in a bin very early in his life, so he was very bitey and he bit very hard! We had to teach him bite inhibition the human way (squealing and ignoring him if he hurt us) and he learned eventually.

This is purely conjecture but a here a lot of those small breed dogs would be right out of puppy farms where their mothers never taught them bite inhibition because they were not socialised well themselves....