Ipswich Has Canine Identity Crisis

[APBT Club of Aust Inc.]

Ipswich has canine identity crisis

From: AAP May 24, 2010 4:34PM

IPSWICH City Council near Brisbane is doggone confused.

A Supreme Court decision has bequeathed it about 126 legal problems it could do without.

The council has legally registered around 126 American Staffordshire terriers which the Supreme Court in Queensland has deemed are actually American pit bulls.

The problem is, pit bulls are illegal in Ipswich under state and local laws.

The city's health and regulation committee chairman Andrew Antoniolli said the redefinition of the American Staffordshire was the result of a drawn-out court case on the Gold Coast.

"We are concerned that we have at least 126 of the 30,000 dogs registered in Ipswich which were identified on their registration as American Staffordshire terriers,'' Mr Antoniolli said.

However, the Supreme Court has deemed they are actually the same breed as American pit bulls.

The American pit bull terrier breed has been implicated in a number of serious and sometimes fatal dog attacks on people, as well as on other animals.

For the time being the registrations of American Staffordshire terriers will remain while Ipswich council seeks advice.

"We understand the Department of Infrastructure and Planning has sought legal advice and will forward that advice to councils for their information once they receive it,'' Mr Antoniolli said.

"We eagerly await that advice and will maintain the status quo until we hear from them.''

Mr Antoniolli said the court ruling would also impact on other councils in Queensland which have taken a similar stand on the breed, or breeds.

And spare a thought for the 126-odd American Staffordshire terriers.

Under Queensland law, pit bulls, if that's what the "staffies'' are, must be desexed.

[geo]

I hope the DPI get it right.

126 amstaffs out of 30,000 'registered' dogs isn't many, i wonder what breeders who are having puppies of amstaffs are going to do in qld .. do they register their dogs and potentially put them in the firing line, or wait a few months to register them and see what if any new laws are made.

[GeckoTree]

Brisbane would be confused too. I can hear those rusty cobwebs turning over inside a dusty old brain right now.

[Black Bronson]

They would have to change the QLD legislation officially to include the Amstaff on BSL. It doesn't matter what a court said, there has to be a legislation breach to impound anyones dog. At the moment, they can place restrictions upon breeds listed under the Customs Act and the Amstaff isn't Customs listed. They would either have to ammend the definition referring to the Customs Act or add the Amstaff to the Customs Act to restrict importation of the breed.

[geo]

They would have to change the QLD legislation officially to include the Amstaff on BSL. It doesn't matter what a court said, there has to be a legislation breach to impound anyones dog. At the moment, they can place restrictions upon breeds listed under the Customs Act and the Amstaff isn't Customs listed. They would either have to ammend the definition referring to the Customs Act or add the Amstaff to the Customs Act to restrict importation of the breed.

Councils can and have placed dogs that aren't on the customs act on their restricted dogs list. For the DPI to change it's rules they would have to amend the customs act i believe.

[tybrax]

They would have to change the QLD legislation officially to include the Amstaff on BSL. It doesn't matter what a court said, there has to be a legislation breach to impound anyones dog. At the moment, they can place restrictions upon breeds listed under the Customs Act and the Amstaff isn't Customs listed. They would either have to ammend the definition referring to the Customs Act or add the Amstaff to the Customs Act to restrict importation of the breed.

[Black Bronson]

They would have to change the QLD legislation officially to include the Amstaff on BSL. It doesn't matter what a court said, there has to be a legislation breach to impound anyones dog. At the moment, they can place restrictions upon breeds listed under the Customs Act and the Amstaff isn't Customs listed. They would either have to ammend the definition referring to the Customs Act or add the Amstaff to the Customs Act to restrict importation of the breed.

Councils can and have placed dogs that aren't on the customs act on their restricted dogs list. For the DPI to change it's rules they would have to amend the customs act i believe.

Some councils did place other breeds on restriction prior to a legislation change last year which stopped that along with the Pit Bull indentification check list. I am not convinced that too many APBT's comply with the Amstaff breed standards anyway and is a bit like trying to say that the Belgian Shepherd is another name for a GSD, or a Kelpie is another name for a Cattle Dog.