SpotTheDog

I hope the mods don't mind me putting this in this forum. Given the current stir about BSL in Victoria, I figured it was pertinent to ask the DOLers to spare a thought for a six year old pooch in Belfast today. Today's the day that crossbreed sweetie Lennox will either be set free or killed by Belfast City Council. Seized from a family who are, inarguably, some of the most responsible dog owners you could ever hope to meet, Lennox has been held in solitary confinement since May 2010 under a clause in Northern Ireland's dog legislation that allows a warden to seize a dog based purely on whether or not it appears to be of 'pit bull type'. If you're unfamiliar with the story, familiarise yourself on the links below, and please do whatever you usually do when you're wishing for something good to happen. www.savelennox.co.uk http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Lennox/125005200853097

Maxiewolf, there are no banned breeds in the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland. The 6 counties of Northern Ireland are part of the UK and the control of dogs is governed by the Dogs Order (NI) 1983 (as amended by the Dangerous Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 and the Dogs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011). The 26 counties of the Republic have the Control of Dogs Act 1986, and a breed-specific listing from the Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 as follows: It's an important distinction to make, because these different laws are what allow Republic of Ireland rescues to take dogs that would otherwise be destroyed in the UK (pit bull terriers and crosses thereof). It's the reason Bruce the pitbull cross, seized from his family with no offence committed and held in disgraceful conditions for three years, could be taken across the border and live his life out in peace.

Hey if I can't get a broadsheet to pick it up, it's going everywhere else I can find space, including as letters to every politican I can find.

That's really useful - thanks for that. I think I'd like to put some focus on the costs of treating dog bites, the impact of legislation on dog bite numbers, the cost of implementing the legislation plus the cost to DEFRA of holding a consultation on policy review some 20 years later. I also believe that, like any project, our politicans should be held accountable for how they intend to evaluate the success of legislation, including having a measured evaluation plan with process, impact and outcome evaluation.

Yep it is still in force - and costing a fortune to implement. I wonder how the figures compare with the 6-12 million stg spent by the NHS on dog bites annually - and how far that figure has gone down... See if I want to turn this into a proper submission to a broadsheet that's the stuff I need to sit back and research. I might leave this up a bit longer for other ideas and feedback, then ask the mods to take it down and I can work on it as an article with input from interested parties, then go to the papers.

LOL - it's my piece, Kiera. I emailed my old lecturer recently to ask if he could remember the story and he sent me some news story links as starting points and I went from there. There's more information to be collated out there - this is just a first draft. I was considering expanding to a full feature article and approaching some broadsheets on it, but there's more to be done on it (and in fairness I should probably take it off here if I wanted to do that).

Original post removed - adding further statistics, supporting evidence and financials to create a finished article.

Yep and puppy farmers dont allow you to come to their properties but she can go into the property as a buyer under cover be given a guided tour and select the dog she wants to buy. This is probably way out there, but anyway - I've been thinking about this for a while. The terminology that goes around today - petshop puppies, [edited because I'm not sure I can mention the store name of the petshop that sells live animals], backyard breeders, puppy farmers, puppy factories - it's all extremely confusing for Joe Public. Further, many members of the public don't understand that intensive breeding for profit can happen to cats as well. I would like to see a shift away from all of the terminology, and a focus on two things: ethical breeding, and unethical breeding. However, I understand that the use of the word 'ethical' itself comes into question in pure breeding because of the use of line breeding, essentially to preserve traits that define the specific breed itself. When I talk about an ethical breeder, I mean one who, regardless of their chosen breed, ensures their animals always have the best food they can afford, clean water, shelter with clean and comfortable bedding and a heat source when it's cold, and mental stimulation. That stimulation to me should be in the form of appropriate toys, treats and foodstuffs that promote healthy chewing and interaction, and also daily human interaction, in the form of games, walks, physical contact. The ethical breeder will also health test their animals before breeding from them, breed only at the appropriate age, breed a limited number of times, breed for the love of the animal and the pursuit of perfection, and not for financial gain. In terms of what number is the 'limit' - I think you should only ever have the number of animals where you can give each animal individual attention every day. For example, you should never have an animal that hides an injury or illness for days or weeks because you didn't have time to interact with the animal and notice that injury or illness. More specifically, you should never be in the situation where you think 'if I had fewer animals I might have noticed that sooner'. The seven animals I have are justabout my limit. I manage to interact with them all individually every day because we have a regimented routine - and that routine means I notice immediately if someone isn't where they should be, e.g. not getting out of their bed, not coming running when called, not willing to go outside or come inside, so on. If I had more animals than this, or if my animals didn't get along well and had to be divided around the premises, I may not be able to do this. Some folks will be able to do what I describe with 10 or more animals. Some would struggle with three difficult animals because of a need to keep them separately. But how do you legislate for that sort of thing? (And as a breeder, which I'm not, would you even want to?) I'm not sure how I feel about breeders who house animals that are destined to be family pets in a structure separate to their home, without the trappings of a home, for the purpose of a breeding programme. How does that affect the animal? What do you do to enrich that environment so that your animal is not, essentially, a sperm bank or a uterus in a cage? Does it get daily walks, or play, or cuddles, or interaction? If you try and rehome it after its years at stud or as a queen, will it freak out the first time it hears a doorbell or a washing machine spin off? Is that ethical breeding? It's so bloomin complicated I'm barely even sure where I stand on half the issues myself.

Another +1 here for the Snooza D1000 - my dog adores his.

That kinda makes me feel worse.

Woah, MAJOR slap in the face from Petplan on my insurance renewal for Gus. First year: $375 for the year, including a 10% discount because I have all seven pets insured through Petplan. Used to pay $204 a year for the cats, each, including the discount. Gus's renewal came in the post today - $571. That's a $194 rise in premiums - and again, I didn't claim last year. The cats are going up too - $275 apiece, though with the discount it'll be $247.50 each. Still, year on year that means Petplan have decided that this year I should pay them an extra $450 or so to insure my pets. That's an increase of 28.5%. I rang them to ask the whys and they were frankly snotty on the phone. You know when someone starts to point out that you're already getting a discout, like they're doing you a favour? I'm insuring seven frickin pets with you lady, you tell me who's doing who a favour. However I noticed on the renewal letter they're now being underwritten by Allianz - I don't remember that being the case before (though it could have been, must check the old policies). I was already stretching budgetary credibility paying out the insurance premiums on seven pets, but I did it because I understood it represented security and good value. Now I'm not so sure.

I'm in, I'll pay, I'll lobby, I can write and edit and I have some media knowledge. Any skills I have I'll give to the group, and as much time as I can physically put to it.

Peter Walsh seems to have a hatred of all things dog. Just yesterday he was refusing to hold off on a poisoned bait programme to control wild dogs, because environmentalists fear that the laying of baited meat will mean the end of the endangered spot tailed quoll. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/spot-tailed-quoll-in-a-battle-for-survival/story-fn7x8me2-1226130884574

sumosmum, that piece was brilliant. Don't underestimate the power of the visuals that go along with the message - nice suburban house, you look clean and tidy and like ordinary Joe, Monty's a BABE (and major kudos to your highly obedient dog!!). Sitting before crossing the road? Fantastic. As for the esteemed Mr Smith: anyone sufficiently vain to sport the affectation of a bow tie in daily life...

Back from the vet, where Gus was one big wiggle, wouldn't stand on the scales because he was too busy fidgeting and wiggling, jumped on the vet nurse, licked her, licked the vet, wouldn't sit when asked, wiggled at the delivery man, and behaved like a 12 week old puppy in a 25kg body, didn't even twitch when he had his jab and would only sit when offered food. (The shame. ) The vet couldn't identify Gus's breed. I'm fascinated by how many people ask me what breed he is, and then look curious when I say 'mongrel'. Can dogs not be mongrels any more? Do they have to be Cavabichoodleillions? The vet reckons staffy cross maybe, but bull arab cross maybe (not big enough at 25kgs), but all they'd commit to was nodding and saying 'definitely not a pitbull'. My paranoia comes from back when my original dog trainer said she'd reckon he had amstaff in him (size, shape, blah blah) and because many of the breed standard features apply to him - as long as the legislation remains vague about crossbreeds, I'm not comfortable that he's completely safe. No certificate - locum vet today, if I want a cert I need to revisit next week some time when the practice owner is back. I'm happy to wait and watch how this unfolds and then get the cert.

Jesus, would you look at the language - 'dangerous', 'marauding', 'mauled', 'fled'. They were probably pissed off the dog was called 'Emma' as opposed to 'Killer', 'Mace', 'Thor' or 'Rambo'. Still, I wonder if Emma is a registered dangerous dog, or if they're blurring the line between adjective and designation? Poor Pug, and if the dog is potentially human aggressive then yes, it shouldn't be approached and needs to be captured asap, but as another poster has already made reference to, yes, way to fuel the hysteria.

Hmm that standard is kind of odd. It targets pitbulls, yes obviously. To me it also targets staffy crosses and pitbull crosses that only look like pitbulls. I wonder what the dog that mauled Ayen Chol looked like? When I heard it was a mastiff pitbull cross, I imagined a large and extremely powerful dog upwards of 45kgs. Based on this standard, a dog like that probably wouldn't meet all of the descriptive criteria. ...I'm kinda lost now.

Major, major kudos and thanks to those of you going to the media. I find it heartbreaking that the state government is enacting legislation due to pressure from a tabloid newspaper and talkback radio. The money that's gone into this, the sheer reactiveness of it, the apparent lack of consideration given to the experiences of other authorities in other countries who've tried to enact Breed Specific Legislation and watched it make no difference - it's breathtaking. The scrabbling for advantage of agencies like the Lost Dogs Home is shameful. Worst of all, this sort of legislation won't do anything to protect children like Ayen Chol. To protect your community from attack by poorly controlled dogs, you need to educate your community in the proper care of pets. Registration, desexing, socialisation, training schools, education, microchipping, a ban on backyard and factory breeding of dogs purely for profit - the money that's gone into this hurried and reactive process would have been better spent promoting those things and implementing the laws we already have.

Good luck - deep breaths, big smile. I've got all my fingers and toes crossed for you that it goes well. (I know if I invited a film crew here Gus would behave like a hoon and I could see him putting paws all over the interviewer's suit, no doubt about it.)

Good idea. Other tips - tidy hair (tie it up), since you're sumo's mum I assume you're female so don't be afraid to put on some clag even if you don't usually wear makeup. Wear sober colours but steer away from black (pastel colours make you look girly and unthreatening, blue for truth - grey is bureaucracy, green doesn't flatter anyone on telly and black makes you look like a devil worshipper). Take an 'outsiders' look at the environment your dogs will be filmed in - put away, for instance, 'mess' e.g. if I were doing this in my yard I'd put away the half chewed garden-set chair that Gus chewed when he was a teenager. These are for instances - if I had the dog on a chain, I'd replace it with a rope. Whatever his collar, but especially if he has a 'tough bling' collar on, I'd wrap a bandana around it - red or blue. People associate the power and negativity of these dogs with trappings including studs, chains, choke collars, chewed up everything, a wasteland of a yard, black clothing, brain-mashing heavy metal music, bikies, drugs, dogfighting, owner's hobbies funded excluisvely by centrelink, and owner (and apologies in advance because I've never met you and couldn't pick you out in a line-up so you may look like this *winces*) with facial piercings, an old metallica wifebeater vest, a face like a bag of hammers and hair with a blue dyed streak in it. They don't associate these dogs with cushion beds on the floor, watching the TV quietly, wearing a cute collar, sitting for treats, giving the cat a wash and basically not being reactive to everything around them, and they don't associate them with an owner who looks like an ordinary Joe.

I'm at the vet with him on Friday for his annual vaccs. Will see what they think he is breed-wise, and then see if they'd issue a certificate.

My understanding of the legislation is as follows: My bitsa bull arab X type mutt is registered as a bull arab X with the local shire council. Let's say I'm at agility and one of the other owners takes a dislike to me and my mutt. They can use the dob-a-dog hotline and report me and the hound. The ranger then approaches me and asks if my dog is registered. I say yes, as a bull arab X. Then the ranger pulls out the appearance checklist, and makes some ticks based on the look of my dog. They then say they believe my dog is a pitbull X. I have no papers. I have no DNA tests. My dog is a rescue mongrel. He's tan and white (check), has a large square head (check), has a scissor bite (check), is within the weight range (check), and has a wrinkly forehead (check). What now? Under the legislation, my understanding is that the rangers can impound and euthanise my dog, in spite of no priors, no problems, no aggression and no roaming, just because I haven't accurately registered him? Am I correct in what I portray here? And if I am correct, are they on crack?

Have sent calm and logical feedback to Ted Bailieu via the premier's website. Pleaded with them to recognise the dangers of identifying dogs using an arbitrary checklist. Requested they consider the cost to the taxpayer from owners of good natured, arbitrarily identified dogs contesting seize and destroy orders, and cited Bruce from Northern Ireland with a link. Pointed out the potential of abuse of report a dog hotlines as estranged partners and annoyed neighbours seek revenge for matters unrelated to pets. Pleaded with the office to utilise lessons learned from other places with high dog bite statistics, and cited the Calgary Model.

When I was a very small child - four - I was bitten by a dog. I was walking to kindergarden with my mum, and the dog came in behind me and bit my heel. It was a Pekingese. When I was 10 years old, I was bitten by a dog. I was playing a game of fetch with it, and I went to pick up the ball from in front of it and it bit my wrist. It was a cocker spaniel. When I was 16 years old, I was bitten by a dog. I was walking out of the street I lived in and a neighbour's loose dog rushed me. It jumped up on me, snarling and growling, and I gave it my arm, thick in a leather jacket. It grabbed and shook, and backed off again. I was leaning against a wall to keep my footing. It came at me again, and grabbed the arm again and shook. I held myself up against the wall, and didn't make eye contact with it. Something else distracted it and it raced away and I waited until it was out of sight and then took off myself. It was a dalmatian. Cry me a river, Matthew B, cry me a river.

He lost me with his bull breed bollox. The episode where they talked about lockjaw and DNA-tested a pound puppy to see if it had pitbull terrier in it and would therefore eat the owner's school-going child and his friends, that was frankly upsetting.