Public Liablity For Dangerous Dogs

[tianakaesha]

It was on the news tonight (channel 10)

Waverly council is apparently voting tonight on whether or not owners of dangerous dogs in their council need to take out public liability insurance for their pets.

Dogs on the list include full blood or crosses of:

American Pitbull Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers, German Shepherds and Australian Cattle Dogs

They read out an statement by the APBT club in response, but that was it really.

[tdierikx]

Ummm... doesn't home and contents insurance cover public liability for incidents on your property? Mine does. And if some idiot had a dangerous dog (of any breed) out in the street, don't we have other legal avenues for that sort of thing?

T.

[cramet]

dont forget not all have home insurance

but i think the its a good idea for public liability insurance if the dog is declaired DD gives the owner cover if they are responsabul

[cointreau]

Last year I checked my home & contents insurance and have public liability at the time I specifically asked if I was covered if my dog caused an injury, my pet insurance also covers me. I checked it out because I know of someone being sued due to an injury caused by their dog. I don't think you can be too careful.

[PuddleDuck]

I wonder if there have been that many civil damages lawsuits in Australia after dog attacks???

Also - what happens to people visiting the area with dog of any of those breeds?? Are they not allowed out of the car?

[MalteseLuna]

Does anyone know the outcome yet? I live on the cusp of Waverly council and would really like to know!

What disturbs me is if they include all the top 10 most dangerous dogs ... I think that the statistics weren't adjusted for number of animals of a certain breed in Australia - because most of the breeds on the top dogs list are very popular.

When will they listen to reason... dangerous dogs are the result of 'bad' owners generally and not breed!

[GardenofEden]

Does anyone know the outcome yet? I live on the cusp of Waverly council and would really like to know!

What disturbs me is if they include all the top 10 most dangerous dogs ... I think that the statistics weren't adjusted for number of animals of a certain breed in Australia - because most of the breeds on the top dogs list are very popular.

When will they listen to reason... dangerous dogs are the result of 'bad' owners generally and not breed!

I never hear of german shepherds posing a problem?

I hear what you are saying, it is true that dangerous dogs can be as a result of bad owners but how does one

discriminate good owners from bad owners?

[Eileen]

But those dogs aren't "dangerous dogs".

Also - what breed do they mean when they say Staffordshire Terrier?

[GeckoTree]

Staffordshire Bull terriers, this isnt the meeting or the ch10 news segment but the news article prompting it.

17/05/2010

In response to a number of recent dog attacks in the Eastern Suburbs, Waverley Councillors Joy Clayton and Deputy Mayor Kerryn Sloan want to make it compulsory for owners of dangerous dog breeds to take out Liability insurance.

Clayton and Sloan are moving a Motion at Waverley Council this week requesting that the NSW Government introduces a liability insurance scheme for owners of dangerous dog breeds.

"Rangers should also be enforcing the rules and while we don't want Council to be heavy handed the attacks have got out of hand and we need to take action," said Councillor Joy Clayton.

Councillor Clayton believes the reasons why people were buying dangerous breeds of dog, such as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also needed to be examined but in the meantime she wants an insurance scheme implemented to protect those attacks from financial hardship.

Councillors say an insurance scheme is necessary in light of the number of serious dog attacks in the area which are creating financial burden in the form of expensive medical bills in addition to the physical and mental trauma.

“Recovering these expenses through the services of lawyers has been a great burden on our communities without an insurance in place for dog owners. In light of the reported 666 attacks on people from January 1st to March 31st 2010 and 456 attacks on other animals, this compulsory insurance for all ‘restricted and dangerous dogs’, which is the state wide classification, would cover the expenses incurred with hospitalisation and veterinary clinic services”. (Extract of Motion)

Dogs are prohibited in many of Waverley’s beachfront parks and are only allowed on the coastal walkways if on a leash. Despite this, many dog owners disregard the rules. Council signage is in many cases, not prominent or clear and a surprisingly high number even of locals, are unaware of the parks where dogs are prohibited.

“Every dog owner loves their dog and thinks it’s an angel. I told a woman on the Bondi to Bronte path to put her dog on a lead and I copped an earful of abuse. People just don’t get it,” said one local resident, who believes better signage and fines are needed to change people’s behaviour.

Councillor Sloan agrees. "Signage needs to be followed up by action. It seems that the dog owners who ignore signage are those with bigger more aggressive dogs. The owners seem to think that their dogs are self sufficient and can look after themselves. This attitude puts at risk all law abiding dog owners that tie their dogs up or have them on leash. Their dogs then become a target for these rogue dogs," said the Deputy Mayor.

[dwynwen]

From the meeting agenda at this link

1005.10.4

Liability insurance scheme for owners of dangerous dog breeds

The following Notice of Motion was submitted by Crs Clayton and Sloan:

"That Waverley Council write to the NSW Government requesting introduction of a liability

insurance scheme for owners of dangerous dog breeds.

BACKGROUND

There have been serious dog attacks on people as well as other animals. Unfortunately the

added trauma to the community with these attacks, as well as expensive medical bills and

possible financial hardships, are being incurred far too often in our local government area.

Recovering these expenses through the services of lawyers has been a great burden on our

communities without an insurance in place for dog owners.

In light of the reported 666 attacks on people from January 1st to March 31st 2010 and 456

attacks on other animals, this compulsory insurance for all 'restricted and dangerous dogs',

which is the state wide classification, would cover the expenses incurred with hospitalisation

and veterinary clinic services".

They would seem to be talking about dangerous and restricted dogs as defined by the CAA (NSW).

[Eileen]

Ahhh, that's a relief.

But that's not what the woman in the news article referenced above is talking about.

I live next to Waverley Council. Every second guy in Bondi has an SBT.

[dogslife]

The Council has no legal right to enforce this.

They can only lobby the state government to get them to do something.

Its like them declaring their Council area a nuclear free zone....nice thought but no powers to stop nuclear waste trucking across the council area