Draft Policy on Dangerous Dog Strategies and Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)

Animal Aid supports the creation of evidence based regulatory policy.
While enforcing the enacted legislation, Animal Aid would seek to replace Breed related legislation aimed at reducing dog bite statistics on the grounds that:

• BSL does not reduce the number of dog bites.
• BSL does not address the number of bites that arise from other breeds and cross-breeds.
• BSL ignores the fact that there may be highly sociable and well adjusted individuals in any breed.
• The identification of Pitbull Terriers (the breed under scrutiny at present) and other banned breeds from visual standards cannot be determined with complete relaibility.


The Facts

• Studies have shown that BSL has not reduced bites in the UK (Klaassen, Buckley, & Esmail, 1996), Germany (Schalke, Ott, & von Gaertner, 2008; Ott, Schalke, von Gaertner, & Hackbarth, 2008) or the Netherlands (Cornelissen & Hopster, 2010) and BSL has been repealed in Germany and the Netherlands. Only one study supports the effectiveness of BSL and that incorporated many other strong initiatives to promote responsible ownership (Villalbi et al., 2010).

• Incontestably identifying a ‘restricted breed’ dog is currently impossible. Visual determinations of breed made by a Victorian government appointed ‘breed panel’ of experts was overturned by legal challenge.

• There are no definitive objective criteria, such as a DNA test, to identify a Pitbull Terrier.

• The Division of Local Government in NSW reports that in 2005 only 1-2% of attacking dogs were identified as restricted breeds i.e. 98% were not. The percentage of bites attributable to restricted breed dogs has been steadily decreasing (0.06% in 2008 and 0.2% in 2009). Therefore, BSL could only ever be expected to reduce the number dog bites by a very small amount.

• Any breed of dog breed can bite regardless of breed. The challenge is identifying which one is likely to do so before they actually do it. Recommendations

• Identifying strategies that work elsewhere and implementing them. For example,   Calgary, Canada has reduced dog bites and shelter euthanasia; increased desexing and regulatory compliance without BSL or mandating desexing. Incidentally, Calgary has a very high population of Pitbull Terriers
(see http://www.petsmartcharities.org/resources/the-calgary-model-for-success.html).

• Develop the ability to identify individual dogs that have a propensity to bite, regardless of species by establishing if there are genetic markers of canine aggression.

• Provision of widespread, low-cost dog training targeting problematic and anti-social behaviour to proactively prevent issues developing.

• Development of validated assessments for good temperament and only breeding with dogs that have passed such tests to reduce aggression. While all dogs have the ability to bite, the risk is mediated by the size and sociability of the dog, genetic factors, specific breed characteristics (which are the focus of current attention) and owner responsibility. The Calgary experience indicates that owner responsibility is the key variable. Animal Aid believes that society’s interests are best served by moving away from BSL and using a combination of strategies to reduce dog bites including rewarding responsible owners who register, socialise and train their dogs while rigorously enforcing registration requirements and owner liability for the offences that their dog’s commit. Reference List

Cornelissen, J. M. & Hopster, H. (2010). Dog bites in The Netherlands: a study of victims, injuries, circumstances and aggressors to support evaluation of breed specific legislation. Veterinary Journal, 186, 292-298.
Klaassen, B., Buckley, J. R., & Esmail, A. (1996). Does the dangerous dogs act protect against animal attacks: a prospective study of mammalian bites in the accident and emergency department. Injury, 27, 89-91.
Ott, S. A., Schalke, E., von Gaertner, A. M., & Hackbarth, H. (2008). Is there a difference? Comparison of golden retrievers and dogs affected by breed-specific legislation regarding aggressive behavior. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 3, 134-140. Schalke, E., Ott, S. A., & von Gaertner, A. M. (2008). Is breed-specific legislation justified? Study of the results of the temperament test of Lower Saxony . Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 3, 97-103.
Villalbi, J. R., Cleries, M., Bouis, S., Peracho, V., Duran, J., & Casas, C. (2010). Decline in hospitalisations due to dog bite injuries in Catalonia, 1997-2008. An effect of government regulation? Inj.Prev., 16, 408-410.

Animal Aid believes that acquiring any animal should be a measured decision with due consideration given to the potential owners current and future financial ability and level of commitment to ensure adequate care.

Animal Aid endorses adoption from a shelter or reputable rescue service or breeder and strongly opposes the sale of animals through regular pet shops and warehouse outlets. It is a fact that most of the puppies and kittens sold from these businesses are sourced from intensive breeding facilities that use cruel and inhumane practices to generate their ‘product.'

However, Animal Aid does endorse the sale of animals from retail outlets if the animals have been sourced from shelters or legitimate responsible rescue services and were sold desexed, micro chipped with an adequate adoption counselling and information service provided. Animal Aid advise that the sale of any animal must be supported by a post purchase advice and support service.

Animal Aid believes that the euthanasia of rehomeable/adoptable companion animals should only ever be considered as a last resort. All reasonable steps should be taken to assess, repair and rehabilitate treatable conditions and behaviours before euthanasia is considered.

Animal Aid understands that where domestic and companion animals have unmanageable behaviour or are a danger to people and other animals, euthanasia is the responsible action to take. It should only ever be carried out by a Veterinarian as painlessly as possible.

Animal Aid strongly supports and advocates compulsory desexing of cats as a significant and practical strategy to reduce the number of unwanted cats in Australia, and the impact this has on people who work in the animal welfare sector.

Animal Aid recognises the cat over population is predominantly caused by the populations of cats that are not ‘fully owned' or responsibly cared for by our community. These populations of cats include strays, partially owned cats (those that people feed but do not take full responsibility for) and feral cats.

Currently only cats that are adopted through animal shelters and rescue services have to be de-sexed, which accounts for only 22%(according to the Pet Acquisition Study) of cats. Pet shops, breeders and free to good home acquisitions have no such obligation.

Animal Aid recognises there is a high rate of desexing among cats that are registered through their local council. However industry data suggests that only *41% of households register their cats. As a result it is difficult to determine the real level of cat de-sexing, but there is likely to be a far higher rate of undesexed cats among this population of cats than among the registered population of cats.

*DAMIC Benchmarking Survey - found 41% of estimated 616,000 owned cats were registered and that 81.89% were registered for the reduced fee, mostly claimed for desexing ie 82% desexing rate

Compulsory de-sexing of cats will require all stakeholders in the sector to work together to increase de-sexing rates and reduce the number of cats that have to be euthanased annually by animal shelter workers.

Animal Aid will work in partnership with local councils and other agencies to develop and implement strategies that increase desexing rates and reduce the number of unwanted cats in the Australian community.

Animal Aid operates as an open door shelter and has since formation in 1938.

"Open door" or "open admission" means that no restrictions are placed on the intake of animals and no animal in need will ever be turned away.

We do not discriminate against breed, age, temperament, health or perceived adoptability.

Consequently when animals are turned away from selective admission shelters or rescue services for being a certain breed, over a certain age, a certain colour etc they will arrive on our doorstep.

Subsequently not all animals can be adopted and may face humane euthanasia.

Animal Aid will only euthanase as a last resort and this is mainly for behavioural or health reasons such as aggression or severe disease.

Animal Aid commonly perform surgeries and treatments to ensure a positive outcome for an animal in our care. We also have rehabilitation programs for unwanted behaviours.

Puppy farms are businesses that breed popular breeds and cross breeds to supply to pet shops.

Commonly the animals bred from are not "good" representatives of the breeds in terms of health, conformation and temperament. Puppies are bred mainly for the "cute" factor and fluffy is best. This often means that cross breeds are manufactured without regard for temperament and health.

This has enormous implications for the purchasers of these puppies and they are often bought on a whim from a pet shop window with little information and preparation beforehand. In addition the puppies are not sold desexed which enables the cycle to continue.

Puppy Farms are generally located in rural or fringe areas and can house up to hundreds of dogs. The puppys are also often sold for exportation to other countries to satisfy the appetitie for fashionable pets there as well.

Animal Aid does not condone commercial export of any species as the animals welfare involved is not a priority and often the animals involved endure terrifying ordeals and become sick and can ultimately not survive the process.

The breeding dogs at a puppy farm are not treated as pets and are not sufficiently catered for in terms of being able to exhibit natural behaviours, level of comfort and provision of health care.

Animal Aid always recommend that people source their next family member from an animal shelter where the adequate behavioural and medical assessments have been undertaken and life time support for the adopter is provided.

Animal Aid is opposed to uncontrolled and unregulated breeding of companion animals as today this leads to the euthanasia of adoptable animals. Whilst the supply of companion animals (i.e. overpopulation) exceeds the number of appropriate homes available, breeding must be discouraged and significantly reduced.

Animal Aid is opposed to the selective breeding of companion animals which produces changes in bodily form, behaviour or function that is ultimately disadvantageous to the pets health or quality of life.

To reduce this kind of production of companion animals (commonly referred to as 'backyard breeding') Animal Aid believes that only licensed breeders should be allowed to breed animals in premises, and with standards, that comply with a mandatory Code of Practice.

Animals sold as pets should be vaccinated, wormed, microchipped and desexed prior to sale. Statistics and records should mandatorily be kept and made available to the relevant government department and the public at large.