Italy Scraps Dangerous Dog Blacklist

[NorthernStarPits]

ITALY SCRAPS DANGEROUS DOG BLACKLIST

Italy News Culture Lifestyle

(ANSA) - Rome, March 3 - Italy is to scrap its blacklist

of dangerous dogs, replacing it with a law making owners more

responsible for their pet`s training and behaviour, Health

Undersecretary Francesca Martini said Tuesday.

The new law, which will come into effect in April, will

wipe clean the current list of 17 breeds which are considered

potentially dangerous, including Rottweilers, pit bull

terriers, bull mastiffs and American bulldogs.

Under the current law, owners of these breeds are

required to keep them muzzled in public places and ensure

that they pose no danger to others, while failure to respect

the law can result in the animal being put down.

The new law works on the theory that any dog could be

potentially high-risk and puts the onus - morally and legally

- on owners, or the person who happens to be in charge of the

dog at any one time, to control the pet`s behaviour.

The new law also foresees short training courses for

prospective dog owners, who will be issued with a special dog

licence.

``This is a historic day because we have established for

the first time the responsibility of the owner or the person

who is momentarily in charge of the animal,`` Martini said.

``The measures adopted in the previous laws had no

scientific foundation. Dangerous breeds do not exist. With

this law we have overcome the black list, which was just a

fig leaf (over the larger problem), and we have increased the

level of guarantees for citizens,`` she said.

Under the new law, vets will be responsible for

compiling a register of individual dogs who they believe may

be potentially high risk, and it will be obligatory for

owners to keep these pets muzzled in public.

The law also requires dog owners to keep their pets on a

lead at all times in urban areas as well as to pick up their

dog`s mess, and to carry a muzzle with them in case of need.

It also forbids training dogs to be aggressive using

sticks and protective body gear, doping, surgery that is not

for health purposes and dangerous cross-breeding.

Carlo Scotti, the president of the National Association

of Italian Vets (ANMVI), praised the new law and said courses

for dog owners were crucial.``Before taking on a certain breed of dog, the owner

should follow a course to understand its behaviour and how to

deal with it,`` he said.

Scotti added that recent cases of dog aggression were

the result of ``the incapacity of the owner in controlling

certain breeds``.

``Choosing a 90 kg dog like a Neapolitan mastiff without

being properly prepared, for example, is like giving a

Ferrari to someone who has just passed their driving

licence,`` he said.

The idea of scrapping the dangerous breeds blacklist has

in the past come under fire from consumer group Codacons,

which claims that the number of dog attacks has fallen

dramatically since its introduction in 2004.

Last month Codacons appealed to Martini not to scrap the

list but instead widen it to include Neapolitan mastiffs

after a ten-month-old child was mauled to death by a family

pet near Rome.

``There are some breeds that remain potentially much

more dangerous than others because of their strength and

their powerful jaws,`` the association said at the time.

``But Martini continues on her ideological battle in

favour of dogs, failing to understand that it`s absolutely

normal for a dog to bite a human, as is demonstrated by the

191 bites that happen every day``.

[luvabull]

How good is that

[Guest rhapsodical78]

Good AND bad. I would hate for BSL to be replaced with suspicion of ALL dogs to the extent where no dog was allowed offlead in an urban area and people had to carry muzzles with them at all times. And what is 'dangerous cross-breeding'?

[poodlefan]

I don't think Schutzhund trainers will find anything to cheer about in that legislation.

[Just Midol]

I see many problems with that, I could even consider that worse than banning breeds.

Many dogs HATE vets. Giving vets the power to declare dogs dangerous is a stupid move.

Schuhtzhund is now illegal in Italy.

Everyone has to carry a muzzle.

Would be interested in the "surgery that is not for health purposes" and what it encompasses as well.

[Zhou Xuanyao]

It sounds a bit shadey doesnt it, but that doesnt detract from the fact another European country has scrapped bsl.

As for the surgery they dont crop ears over there anymore not to sure on tails I gather they still do that so that might be affected, and de-sexing will certainly be included under "non health purposes" aswell, barring outstanding individual cases im sure.

[NorthernStarPits]

Yeah nothings perfect, but singling out breeds is scrapped!

[poodlefan]

Giving the knowledge (or apparent lack of it) some vets have of dog behaviour, this is potentially a backward move.

Agree that cessation of singling out breeds for banning is a good thing but you wonder how this new legislation will prove in practice.

[NorthernStarPits]

time will tell.

[Zhou Xuanyao]

Well you know I think that the end result is that this law will be ignored and then scrapped, or rallied against AND ignored, then scrapped.

People are going to avoid going to the vet as much as possible in fear of what the vet may report. Vets are gonna lose big bucks they will either protest against the laws until thier changed or they will simply ignore them in an effort to restore customer confidence.

[Just Midol]

The problem is this isn't a plus, or a move forward.

It's worse than specifying individual breeds.

[ari.g]

I think it's a damn good start

[Just Midol]

Yeah, it's a great start to even more draconian laws.

They are WORSE not BETTER than the laws they replaced. For some reason APBT owners only see the "APBT is no longer banned" part of it without realising the wider implications of the legislation.

ETA: I need to proof read.

Edited March 22, 2009 by Just Midol

[Tonymc]

Its not a very intelligent step putting this in the hands of vets. Tony

[Guest rhapsodical78]

Yeah, it's a great start to even more draconian laws.

They are not WORSE not BETTER then the laws they replaced. For some reason APBT owners only see the "APBT is no longer banned" part of it without realising the wider implications of the legislation.

Agreed. These laws are bordering on ludicrous.