Council Officers Are Being Threatened By Dog Owners

[GeckoTree]

COUNCIL officers are being threatened by dog owners, with one already bitten, as a state-wide crackdown on restricted breeds gets under way.

Municipal Association of Victoria chief executive Rob Spence said some inspectors would need police support to seize American pit bulls, with councils inundated by reports of dangerous dogs.

“There have been some comments coming back to officers that have been threatening if they went into locations they wouldn’t be safe,” Mr Spence said.

He said staff had reported physical threats after trying to enter properties in outer Melbourne to confirm reports of restricted breed dogs.

A pit bull attacked a Brimbank Council officer in Sydenham on Monday as he attempted to collect it to put it down.

He suffered hand and chest wounds but paramedics said the 36-year-old wasn’t seriously injured.

From Friday, any unregistered pit bull, pit bull cross or other restricted breed dog found will be destroyed under a crackdown on dangerous dogs, after the tragic death of Ayen Chol, 4, in St Albans last month.

Mr Spence said he had met with Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh’s advisors to help secure police support for council officers who had an obligation to seize dangerous dogs after Friday.

“You wouldn’t expect council officers to go into environments where it’s potentially not safe,” he said.

He said uniform guidelines needed to be developed to help council officers identify the restricted breed.

“I suspect a lot of people don’t know whether they’ve got American Staffies or pit bulls and it’s up to council officers to identify them,” he said.

Some councils are overloaded with reports of restricted breeds with 270 people in Hume queuing to have their dogs assessed.

Mr Spence said people were ringing councils directly rather using the State Government hotline to report dangerous dogs.

He urged owners to register their pets before the amnesty on registering dangerous dogs ended on September 29.

“I’d suggest anyone who hasn’t had their dog registered pull your finger out and register it,” he said.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/council-officers-attacked-by-dangerous-dogs/story-fn7x8me2-1226148603613

[WreckitWhippet]

What do they seriously expect, that dogs owners with dogs that have not been involved in any incidents, are simply going to hand over their family pets, to be destroyed ?

I'd fight too, as once they have your dog, you're up shit creek and it would be destroyed before you could get your lawyer onto it

[melzawelza]

Yep, I have to say that I've always been one to value intelligent debate and am not one to challenge authority however if they tried to take my dog they'd be up against a hell of a fight.

I feel sorry for some of the ACO's in Vic. While there is no doubt a large percentage of them are positively salivating over being able to seize and destroy dogs, there would be many who would be railroaded into this when they do not agree with it. Not everyone has the option to quit without having something else lined up.

Edited September 28, 2011 by melzawelza

[experiencedfun]

all they have to do is fall inside the law like the rest of us and register the dogs....its not like its that hard

[megan_]

all they have to do is fall inside the law like the rest of us and register the dogs....its not like its that hard

No EF - they have to register their dog as a restricted breed and comply with that legislation - just because the dog fits the description (any amstaff without papers for example, most staffy types).

It is not the same as registering your dog with the council, far from it.

[Red Fox]

You can bet your arse that I wouldn't hand my dog in to be killed. I don't blame them one bit.

all they have to do is fall inside the law like the rest of us and register the dogs....its not like its that hard

With comments like this?

"I suspect a lot of people don't know whether they've got American Staffies or pit bulls and it's up to council officers to identify them," he said.

Sure, all fine if you DO own a restricted and/or dangerous dog but what of the owners of unregistered (ie rescue) Amstaffs? Where do they stand on this? Should they be registering their dogs as pits "just in case" council identifies them as such? Should they be locking up and muzzling their family pets to comply with the legislation?

eta, add to that hugely inflated council registration costs for every 'restricted breed' run of the mill staffy cross that looks like a pit...

Edited September 28, 2011 by SecretKei

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I still haven't had an answer from DPI about what the status of my dog - registered in SA - is if I visit Victoria for a training seminar with her, early next year.

I'm not bringing her if council rangers can just seize based on their OPINION against a visual id list that includes "any colour" and any cross breed.

[experiencedfun]

Why would they have to register staffy crosses as a restricted breed?

[melzawelza]

Experiencedfun have a read through previous threads on the issue. All bull breeds and their crosses are at risk of being defined a pit bull due to the standard set out by the VIC government

[megan_]

Why would they have to register staffy crosses as a restricted breed?

Have a look at the standard they've defined and the pics contained therein. Many of the dogs shown look like SBT-crosses to me. Anything that has a certain look (and no certificate proving that it isn't a pitbull cross) will be deemed a pitbull cross. The onus is on the owner to prove that it isn't, and they don't accept DNA tests.

So bull breed owners have two choices:

i) Register as a restricted breed before Friday's deadline. Build a run with a concrete floor, never let your dog off leash, muzzle at all times outside your property etc.

OR

ii) Don't register as a restricted breed and run the risk of having your dog seized and PTS if, in a council officers opinion your dog had a pit-bull type look. There is an avenue of appeal but unless you can PROVE that your dog isn't a PB cross (and if you have a mutt how do you do that when they won't accept DNA evidence?).

There hasn't been much outcry yet because most people don't seem to understand the new laws and that they apply to them. They think "my dog is registered and isn't a pitbull" that they'll be okay. Wrong.

[Dory the Doted One]

What do they accept as proof of parentage? If you bought a cross breed from a backyard, would a stat dec signed by the 'breeder' be sufficient?

[megan_]

What do they accept as proof of parentage? If you bought a cross breed from a backyard, would a stat dec signed by the 'breeder' be sufficient?

No. Only pedigree certificates or a certificate from your vet is sufficient. However, the AVA does not support BSL and is recommending that vets have no part in this. The issue is though that many dogs will suffer as a result of them not participating.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I found the email reply from dpi...

They say they will accept pedigree papers from a number of places

or a letter from your vet to state the dog is of a certain breed.

A pedigree certificate from the Australian National Kennel Council;

A pedigree certificate from a member body of the Australian National

Kennel Council;

A pedigree certificate from a national breed council registered with the

Australian National Kennel Council; or

A certificate signed by a veterinary practitioner stating, or to the

effect, that the dog is of a particular breed.

At least they offer some alternative to the ANKC. Personally I view the ANKC pedigree or it's a pitbull, a bit like the car companies saying you void your warranty if you don't get your car serviced at the right brand car shop.

And I really don't trust a visual id from a council ranger.

[Cosmolo]

You can present Dna evidence in your appeal if you wish and then its up to the judge but the council won't accept it as proof prior to that point. If you knew who the dogs parents were, i'd be going and getting their Dna results as well.

Unfortunately for people like me who adopted dogs from a shelter that 'may' fit the standard we have NO way of proving what breed they are or aren't. So we are screwed if a council ranger thinks our dogs meet the standard.

If the dog is registered as any breed, they can't seize and destroy immediately. But they can deem the dog to be a restricted breed and require the dog to be kept as such. At that point you accept the decision and comply or take the council to VCAT.

Seems different councils are doing different things- Kingston city council have only found 1 dog meeting the standard so far.

[WreckitWhippet]

I found the email reply from dpi...

They say they will accept pedigree papers from a number of places

or a letter from your vet to state the dog is of a certain breed.

A pedigree certificate from the Australian National Kennel Council; papers are not directly issued by them

A pedigree certificate from a member body of the Australian National

Kennel Council; this means the states canine councils, now knows as DogsNSW etc

A pedigree certificate from a national breed council registered with the

Australian National Kennel Council; or same as above, the pedigrees will be from the states controlling body

A certificate signed by a veterinary practitioner stating, or to the

effect, that the dog is of a particular breed.

At least they offer some alternative to the ANKC. Personally I view the ANKC pedigree or it's a pitbull, a bit like the car companies saying you void your warranty if you don't get your car serviced at the right brand car shop.

And I really don't trust a visual id from a council ranger.

The first lot are all one in the same, that means an ANKC pedigree from any of the state bodies.

It's a fancy way of writing the same thing three times.

You might be able to argue that if you have an imported Amstaff that you didn't re-register in Australia, but have it's papers from the AKC, you therefore have an Amstaff, otherwise you are up poo creek.

If you have papers for any breed of dog that is not ANKC recognised and does not have a reciprocal arrangement with the ANKC then you are also up poo creek.

UKC papers would not be accepted, as an example.

Edited September 28, 2011 by Pav Lova

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I've got a mutt from AWL. I can't prove my dog is *not* a pitbull cross. And she's certainly not got an ANKC pedigree.

I'm thinking forgery sounds like a good option - here is my ANKC pedigree mini english pointer. um.

[Cosmolo]

thats exactly the point. and if i was you i wouldn't be bringing a dog that could fit the standard into vic even for a visit in the near future.

[WreckitWhippet]

Or if you did bring it into VIC, hope to hell it doesn't get out and get picked up by a ranger. You may never get it back

[Dory the Doted One]

Well, I'm just speechless.

I knew it was extreme prejudice, but I didn't realize it was THAT extreme.

So you could have a dozen people on your side saying, we saw them mate, we saw her whelp, we saw them raised and we saw this person purchase this puppy, here are our sworn declarations...which in most circumstances would constitute adequate evidence of the facts there in...

Along comes a council 'official'...with 5 minutes training, who probably doesn't know a dogs pad from a notebook. And your evidence isn't good enough.

I would like to say more...but I'd just be really incoherent.

[Cosmolo]

Yes thats right.