RIP HERO Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 My amstaff hero was 11 months old when the RSPCA came around and i am sharing this story because i know something went terribly wrong. Hero was one of the most obedient dogs ive ever had the fortune of owning, he came into my life when he was 7 weeks old as a gift from friends for getting into vet school. Started training at a very young age and not once did we ever have any type of incident. Not even a growl or a bark at anyone at all. I began socialising him from a young age due to my work i can take him with me to meet hundreds of dogs and people a day. One day as we went for our afternoon walk a little girl came over to give him a hug and ofcourse he was excited as always when her dad came across saying quote ' Dont touch that thing, they eat little kids like you'. I was mind blown and offended to say the least i calmly explained to the man that what he is saying is offensive and far from the truth. Now to the main part. 1 week later the RSPCA came knocking i was not home at the time but other family members were. In short they seized hero. Coming home i was furious and dumbfounded and started making phone calls immedietly. i was given a pound number and told to ask about him the following day. So ofcourse the following day i called and after quoting the number i was given the operator told me that ' that animal was PTS'. You can only imagine what i went through and i think i lost it after that. I could not understand how this was to happen as there are alot of steps that must be taken before any animal is PTS and i believe most of you do know them. I asked if they had a qualified breed assessor( i was told he was assessed and labelled as a Restricted Breed, APBT to be exact.) the answer was no. Then i got a call back saying yes we do, So i promptly went down to speak to this person who was unavailable...MMM? The only thing i could do was take it to court, me being a student i had no sort of money to take it to court and was just soo angry and in loss that i couldnt go through it. 1 year later i still think about him every single day, i still dont understand how anyone could do that to a poor animal especially one like him. I paid a visit to my neighbour thanking him for the loss of my dog and he had nothing to say at all. I understand many of us will disagree on this issue but i would love to hear your opinions and any further questions and advice members can provide. Now im still trying to cope with my loss with Bobby my 8 week old samoyed coming into my life but every day morning and night i pray for Hero and i hope that he didnt pass away in vain and that together we can make a difference. Tears rolling down my face as i remember my best friend i hope a difference is made soon.. Thanks for reading .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 he came into my life when he was 7 weeks old as a gift from friends for getting into vet school. I'm guessing he had no papers. If he'd been registered, he'd have been safe from all of this and with you still. Are you sure it was the RSPCA that seized him? Generally only rangers have those powers. What state are you in? Qld? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I'm sorry but that is not how the due process works in the state of NSW. The RSPCA does not seize dogs in such cases where they are suspected of being a " restricted breed ". Councils are the one's with the power to seize when it comes to such dogs. I agree though, something did go terribly wrong and it's very sad that you did not find someone to help you out of that situation. It certainly would not have required a solicitor to save your dog, if he was an Amstaff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIP HERO Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Hey Guys... Sorry i did make a mistake it was rangers which i didnt explain properly but went to the RSPCA, i live in NSW. That was the problem. He was not papered( which i knew was a mistake as soon as he arrived and its usually something i wouldnt ever get a dog without). Sorry for not being clear enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIP HERO Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 READYSETGO wat do you think it wouldhave needed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 well, there is a due process, where a " notice of intent " to declare a dog to be of a restricted breed is issued and the owner has the opportunity to contact a "breed assessor", to establish the dogs breed, that would have been a start. The vast majority of "nice" dog pass that breed assessment or are determined to be crosses, which means they can go on to have a temperament test. There's 28 days ( as part of the NOI ) to prove by other means , including DNA and evidence of parentage, that you dog is not an APBT or a PB cross. Going a step further back, prior to the NOI being issued, council must also give you 7 days notice before the issue it. During that time you can correspond with council and if satisfied at that point they won't issue one. it's not as simple as council seizing the dog, stating that it is a restricted breed and then destroying it. If the above happened to you and council took the dog and destroyed it without and NOI, then you should be complaining the the council, the DLG and your local state member. If you are in the Kogarah, Hurstville or Rockdale council area, then I have a pretty good idea what you have been through and plead with you to lodge complaints and push it as far as you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIP HERO Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 well, there is a due process, where a " notice of intent " to declare a dog to be of a restricted breed is issued and the owner has the opportunity to contact a "breed assessor", to establish the dogs breed, that would have been a start. The vast majority of "nice" dog pass that breed assessment or are determined to be crosses, which means they can go on to have a temperament test.There's 28 days ( as part of the NOI ) to prove by other means , including DNA and evidence of parentage, that you dog is not an APBT or a PB cross. Going a step further back, prior to the NOI being issued, council must also give you 7 days notice before the issue it. During that time you can correspond with council and if satisfied at that point they won't issue one. it's not as simple as council seizing the dog, stating that it is a restricted breed and then destroying it. If the above happened to you and council took the dog and destroyed it without and NOI, then you should be complaining the the council, the DLG and your local state member. If you are in the Kogarah, Hurstville or Rockdale council area, then I have a pretty good idea what you have been through and plead with you to lodge complaints and push it as far as you can. ReadySetGo, thank you for your reply. i have spent hours and hours reading on this and i do intend on pursuing it to the full. I live in kogarah. What would you advise for the first step to be? thank you so much i really appreciate your help because there was obviously a very serious shortage of necessary steps that were not taken, realising that when i read on it myself and your further explanation confirms... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 First thing would be to write yourself a timeline of events and also get together any correspondence you have from council. You can call the DLG with your dogs chip number and ask them if an NOI was issued. If it was you need to details of the date issued etc. You may also want to see what council has on your dog under FOI, there are others that will be able to help you with what you need to do to obtain that. Complaints and accessing records under FOI are not something that I'm familiar with. You are going to be up against one very nasty man, contracted to certain council areas to perform the ACO duties. However if owners don;t complain and follow through, he will keep getting away with killing dogs and not following the due process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RottnBullies Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 he came into my life when he was 7 weeks old as a gift from friends for getting into vet school. I'm guessing he had no papers. If he'd been registered, he'd have been safe from all of this and with you still. Are you sure it was the RSPCA that seized him? Generally only rangers have those powers. What state are you in? Qld? Papers or no papers where was the N.O.I ?? What they did was wrong, he wasn't breed assesed/temp tested, nothing... they seized the dog and pts They abused their powers yet again I'm so sorry for your loss And I sincerley wish you all the best In following this through BSL continues to notch up Innocent Victims Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmkelpie Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 First thing would be to write yourself a timeline of events and also get together any correspondence you have from council.You can call the DLG with your dogs chip number and ask them if an NOI was issued. If it was you need to details of the date issued etc. You may also want to see what council has on your dog under FOI, there are others that will be able to help you with what you need to do to obtain that. Complaints and accessing records under FOI are not something that I'm familiar with. You are going to be up against one very nasty man, contracted to certain council areas to perform the ACO duties. However if owners don;t complain and follow through, he will keep getting away with killing dogs and not following the due process. I am so sorry for your loss It scares me that rangers have been able to get away with this! I encourage you to follow the above advice, you cannot get your dog back but you may be able to stop it happening to others. Don't back down from the fight, such abuse of power should end here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) Was it the RSPCA he was taken to? Wouldn't a ranger take him to the pound that they take all their dogs to? I work near the Kogarah pound at Carlton, and I just cant believe those girls in there woiuld PTS a dog within 24 hrs of it being brought in. Even dogs who have mauled kids get more time than that! So sad, and something has gone very very wrong. I know this is sensationalising your loss, but if you dont take legal action maybe tell your story to the media. Make some rangers think twice about ever doing this again. Dog owners shouldnt always be painted as the villians. Edited January 13, 2011 by Jakemon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwenneth1 Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 What disturbs me is that a lot of rangers are unqualfied morons who have to make an intelligent, informed decision. BSL is rubbish, there is no evidence to support that this draconian legislation has reduced bite statistics one iota or that bullbreeds are indeed responsible for a lot of incidences. (but the moment a bullbreed does, you can bet it makes the headlines). I recall that a man who was disabled had his dog seized by an idiot ranger who id'd the dog as "Pit Bull type". (wtf...?) This played itself out in the court system and the man was awarded his dog back, court costs and the ranger/council criticised. Ridiculous! I wish I was in a financial situation to help with your costs. Perhaps you could ask help via legal aid or get somebody to take the case on? I feel very sorry for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIP HERO Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 (edited) Was it the RSPCA he was taken to? Wouldn't a ranger take him to the pound that they take all their dogs to?I work near the Kogarah pound at Carlton, and I just cant believe those girls in there woiuld PTS a dog within 24 hrs of it being brought in. Even dogs who have mauled kids get more time than that! So sad, and something has gone very very wrong. I know this is sensationalising your loss, but if you dont take legal action maybe tell your story to the media. Make some rangers think twice about ever doing this again. Dog owners shouldnt always be painted as the villians. Jakemon i live next door to Sydney Dogs and Cats Home. The girls working there are good friends and helped me out alot, a dog there DOES get more time. 2 months ago, a rednose pup was seized and his mum was later surrendered, she got PTS that same day, he got a week before he was farewelled . Due to my line of work and especially my area of study this got me extra extra hard but there was nothing at all i could do. Power was abused ,nothing was issued watsoever, and im making sure he doesnt pass in vain. I get pitbull terriers coming through work alot and every single one has been an amazing dog and long time customer with no issues watsoever. I talk and explain to people the steps to take and avoid with there dogs. A lady i work with got her pitbull seized, the only way she managed to get him out was turns out the breed assessor was a customer at the store that assessed him as a staffy x and managed to get him registered as such. He is now 9 yrs old and an awesome dog. So even though i cant get my dog back, i try in direct my anger and help out the other pitbull terriers that come into my life daily. Thank you for everyones compassion and listening to the story i hope some day we can change this BSL aka bull sh$t law. :D Its been a while now since he passed and not one day can i get over it or let go... My family says im obsessed but these animals play such a big part of my life that i cant let go sometimes... Edited January 13, 2011 by RIP HERO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pitchick Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 that is absolutely disgusting. If you can please take it further. This person needs to be stopped before more innocent dogs are destroyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbi Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I am so sorry for your loss RIP Hero As an owner of a crossbreed dog that I adopted from a pound these sort of horror stories send cold shivers down my spine. My dog is chipped and registered as a Bull Arab x but I know nothing of her blood lines. How would I protect her from misidentification? She is a much loved member of the family and I never have her outside unless I am with her, she is crated when I am at work and always on the leash in public, we do obedience training and I keep her socialised but have no papers to prove what she is/isnt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Perhaps you guys with Amstaffs and crosses and any other dog which is at risk of being hassled under BSL should use one of the DNA services such as BITSA http://www.gtglabs.com/bitsa/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIP HERO Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 I am so sorry for your loss RIP Hero As an owner of a crossbreed dog that I adopted from a pound these sort of horror stories send cold shivers down my spine. My dog is chipped and registered as a Bull Arab x but I know nothing of her blood lines. How would I protect her from misidentification? She is a much loved member of the family and I never have her outside unless I am with her, she is crated when I am at work and always on the leash in public, we do obedience training and I keep her socialised but have no papers to prove what she is/isnt. Hey Robbi, Hero was exactly like that. He started going to work with me as soon as i got him ( i love to socialise my dogs at my work from a young age cause they get to meet alot of different animals every day, when they have had their first 2 shots ofcourse ).... With your dog, you must follow all the steps everyone has explained here if anything DOES happen( god forbid) for me i didnt have any deep knowledge about the issue like the laws until i read about them for hours and hours so i could help other people out. Jakemon thats an awesome idea. I have so many regrets and anger and hatred but ill use it for the other dogs that can be saved. :D Keep it up guys and thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 The process ( or lack of process ) followed with your poor dog absolutely sickens me. Please if you can, follow through with this to try and stop it ever happening again. I wasn't aware of the issues with Kogarah council - can someone PM me and fill me in? I am about to start a new job where this sort of information would be very useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Perhaps you guys with Amstaffs and crosses and any other dog which is at risk of being hassled under BSL should use one of the DNA services such as BITSAhttp://www.gtglabs.com/bitsa/ Given the lack of accuracy that results have shown, I'd be saving my money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Perhaps you guys with Amstaffs and crosses and any other dog which is at risk of being hassled under BSL should use one of the DNA services such as BITSAhttp://www.gtglabs.com/bitsa/ Given the lack of accuracy that results have shown, I'd be saving my money. After I posted that I properly read all the limitations of the service...and it can only tell if the crossbred has come from 2 purebred dogs... not as good as I first thought I suppose you could reverse it and ask to see that there isn't any APBT genes present, without an exact answer as to what your dog is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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