I felt great sadness as I heard the news below today. As a rottie owner (along with 2 labs) I take a lot of time to correctly handle him. He is a very large and strong so I walk him on his own with 2 leads (one on his collar and one on his muzzle) and I walk the 2 labs together. I have ensured he cannot get out of the garden when I am not there as its surrounded by 10 ft walls. I love his temperment but am very aware of the stigma (other peoples) that is attached to the breed.
I am sure there are responsible dog owners like me, in Dublin who must now give up their beloved pets. I feel very sorry for them, they are now grouped with the 'people' who own these dogs only as a kind of status symbol and do not care for them properly. Luckily, I do not live in Dublin.
I would like people who have a pre-conceived thoughts on 'dangerous dogs' to read the article below that is posted on the DSPCA website and discuss their views on the matter.
Punish the deed, not the breed.
9th July 2007
The Dublin SPCA today has been inundated with calls from distraught members of the public who are devastated with the announcement from Dublin City Council that they will not be allowed to keep their pets if they are on the list of eleven restricted breeds.
“We are shocked and appalled that this by law is to be implemented, at no point was there any consultation with any of the welfare organisations that work with animals every day of the year. “ said Jimmy Cahill, General Manager.
If implemented, this ban will see the destruction of thousands of family pets. The solution is the implementation of existing legislation and a comprehensive public awareness programme promoting responsible pet ownership. The current fine of €35 for not having your listed breed dog muzzled in public is simply not a deterrent. However, attempting to ban these animals is a complete over reaction.
Any dog can be trained to do anything, and the responsibility of a dog's actions should be put on the owner.
It would be much more effective to enforce the existing laws for proper leashing and muzzling than to ban a particular breed. The law-abiding citizens that have their dogs in the public's eye are being responsible by properly socializing their dogs, as all dogs need this in order to be well balanced members of our society.
Those that do not follow the requirement to muzzle and properly restrain their listed breed dog or properly socialize their dogs are the problems. These are the people that even if the ban is passed will continue their practices of keeping dogs without regard to the public or animals’ welfare.
Any dog without rules or discipline is a potential case for disaster. We support proper obedience training for ALL dog owners, not only "potentially aggressive dog breeds"; as any dog attack can be devastating, even the smallest dog bite can do major damage. We are also calling for the compulsory micro chipping of dogs to ensure owner responsibility.
This by-law is going to condemn family pets to death and will only be hurting the law-abiding citizens and their animals. Those that do not control their dogs will continue to do so.
In summary our points are:
I am sure there are responsible dog owners like me, in Dublin who must now give up their beloved pets. I feel very sorry for them, they are now grouped with the 'people' who own these dogs only as a kind of status symbol and do not care for them properly. Luckily, I do not live in Dublin.
I would like people who have a pre-conceived thoughts on 'dangerous dogs' to read the article below that is posted on the DSPCA website and discuss their views on the matter.
Punish the deed, not the breed.
9th July 2007
Thousands of dogs condemned to die in Dublin
The Dublin SPCA today has been inundated with calls from distraught members of the public who are devastated with the announcement from Dublin City Council that they will not be allowed to keep their pets if they are on the list of eleven restricted breeds.
“We are shocked and appalled that this by law is to be implemented, at no point was there any consultation with any of the welfare organisations that work with animals every day of the year. “ said Jimmy Cahill, General Manager.
If implemented, this ban will see the destruction of thousands of family pets. The solution is the implementation of existing legislation and a comprehensive public awareness programme promoting responsible pet ownership. The current fine of €35 for not having your listed breed dog muzzled in public is simply not a deterrent. However, attempting to ban these animals is a complete over reaction.
Any dog can be trained to do anything, and the responsibility of a dog's actions should be put on the owner.
It would be much more effective to enforce the existing laws for proper leashing and muzzling than to ban a particular breed. The law-abiding citizens that have their dogs in the public's eye are being responsible by properly socializing their dogs, as all dogs need this in order to be well balanced members of our society.
Those that do not follow the requirement to muzzle and properly restrain their listed breed dog or properly socialize their dogs are the problems. These are the people that even if the ban is passed will continue their practices of keeping dogs without regard to the public or animals’ welfare.
Any dog without rules or discipline is a potential case for disaster. We support proper obedience training for ALL dog owners, not only "potentially aggressive dog breeds"; as any dog attack can be devastating, even the smallest dog bite can do major damage. We are also calling for the compulsory micro chipping of dogs to ensure owner responsibility.
This by-law is going to condemn family pets to death and will only be hurting the law-abiding citizens and their animals. Those that do not control their dogs will continue to do so.
In summary our points are:
- Aggressive dogs are found among any breed or crossbreed
- Breed specific legislation and breed bans are not effective solutions to the problem of dog attacks
- The problem of dog attacks is best dealt with through a comprehensive programme of education, training and legislation ensuring responsible ownership of all breeds.
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