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Targeting dog breeds no answer: experts

Posted on September 2, 2011

TARGETED: Unregistered American Pitbull Terriers can be seized and destroyed from September 29.

By BEN PISCIONERI

NEW laws in Victoria cracking down on restricted dog breeds, including American Pitbulls, aren’t the best solution to prevent dog attacks according to experts in Sunraysia.

The laws, which have been described as a knee-jerk reaction by some, are in response to a fatal dog attack on a four-year-old girl in Melbourne two weeks ago. The dog involved was a Pitbull-cross.

The Victorian Government this week introduced new laws into Parliament requiring dangerous or restricted dogs, including Pitbulls and Pitbull-crosses, be registered before September 29.

Unregistered dogs can be seized and destroyed.
“This legislation is the first of several measures to get rid of restricted breeds, including Pitbulls,” Victorian Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Peter Walsh, said this week.

Mildura Rural City Council local laws co-ordinator, Sjaakie Adriaans, said he believed more attention should be placed on responsible ownership rather than dog breeds themselves.

It’s Council’s local laws officers who are often called to contain any dangerous animals when an incident occurs.

“Blaming the breed is incorrect. Blaming the owner is more correct,” Mr Adriaans said.
Well known Mildura veterinarian, Dr Ian Japp, agreed that restricting a specific dog breed wasn’t necessarily the solution.

“I have my concerns that they’re targeting one breed. Yes this breed has to be considered, but it shouldn’t be the only one considered,” Dr Japp said.

“Breeds that we recognise as potentially dangerous certainly include the Pitbull, but many other breeds also have the potential to cause some form of injury.”

He said much of that potential was simply due to the physical strength of the animal.

Dr Japp said responsible pet ownership was the critical factor.

He said environmental factors, including training and animal socialisation were the keys.

“Going to puppy classes, managing your dog’s behaviour, ruling out any problems in the early stages, it’s all about responsible pet ownership,” Dr Japp said.

“Targeting Pitbulls and crosses – I think it’s part of the solution but by no means is it going to be the only solution.”

He said 14 to 16-weeks-old was the critical window in terms of training and socialisation skills for dogs.

Minister Walsh said the legislation would also introduce a visual standard for identifying Pitbull Terriers “to prevent some of these dogs escaping regulation because of uncertainty over their breed.”

Dr Japp voiced concerns over the effectiveness of any visual standard, pointing to genetic testing as a more reliable method.

He said he’d already had one Staffordshire Bull Terrier owner visit his offices this week concerned that his animal could be part Pitbull given the similar appearance of the two breeds and the impending legislation.

While not endorsing any specific genetic testing kit, Dr Japp said home-use testing kits were available, involving swabbing, similar to drug testing in humans.

Mr Adriaans said there were only a handful of animals currently listed on Council’s dangerous or restricted dogs register, and all but one were designated guard dogs.

He said none of them were American Pitbulls.

Despite there being no Pitbulls registered in Sunraysia, Mr Adriaans suspected there were owners in the district.

He said the tragic attack in Melbourne two weeks ago sparked a significant increase in reports of dangerous dogs in Sunraysia in the days after the incident.

“Nearly every caller said it was a Pitbull they’d seen, and in every case it wasn’t,” Mr Adriaans said this week.

He said while dog attacks did occur in Sunraysia they were not frequent, and in the majority of cases involved attacks on other animals.

While questioning some aspects of the new laws, Mr Adriaans said the dangerous dog hotline launched this week was a positive initiative.

People can report a dog they believe is a restricted breed by phoning the dangerous dog hotline on 1300 101 080 between 8am and 6pm.

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