Australian state to ban 'killing machine' dogs

Australia -- Pit bull terriers, Japanese tosas and other "killing machine" dogs will be banned in Australia's most populous state after a spate of brutal attacks, state officials said.

"A pit bull is a killing machine on a leash and too often someone ends up in an emergency ward after an encounter with one of these dogs," New South Wales Premier Bob Carr said.

New laws will prohibit the sale, acquisition, breeding or giving away of pit bull terriers, American pit bulls, Japanese tosas, Argentinian fighting dogs and Brazilian fighting dogs. The ban is expected to take effect from June or July.

Current owners of the breeds must have their dogs desexed, Carr said in a statement received Wednesday. "We want to see these dangerous creatures bred out of existence."

The New South Wales ban matches last year's ban on pit bulls by the Canadian province of Ontario.

Pit bull terriers, a cross between a bull dog and terrier, were historically used for dog fighting and hunting because of their aggression and strength.

There are already bans on importing the five breeds into Australia and owners must be over 18 years of age and keep the dogs in secure enclosures. There are about 3,300 dogs of restricted breeds registered in New South Wales state.

Last week, a five-year boy suffered head and arm injuries when he was mauled by a pit bull on the way home from school and a 75-year-old man was attacked by two pit bulls as he walked along a footpath in the western suburbs of Sydney.

American Pit Bull Association spokesman Colin Muir said the ban was unfair and the government should be targeting irresponsible owners. "It's a form of canine genocide. There is no question about that," Muir told Australian television.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Australia welcomed the ban but warned the restrictions might create an underground trade in the dog breeds.

 

Glad Im not the only one who sees making them illegal only hurts the irresponsible owners who will give theirs up. Thugs and criminals will not give up their dogs I bet, and to take it even farther, I bet it gives them more street cred for having one, therefore they will grow to be an even bigger problem.

 

you are probably right... thought I should also add, the man who was "attacked" by the two loose pit's recieved only minor lacerations, he restrained the two dogs but grabbing them by their collars and the boy who was mauled ran over to the dog, not the other way round.. not defending what the dog did or anything but who the hell would let a child run over to a strange dog on the loose??? where the hell were the parents??? this particlar dog had a history of attacking before, the council neglected to ensure the dog was been kept according to the "dangerous dog" laws... grrrr! this whole situation makes me so mad!!:mad:

 

i live in the us and dont know anything about your situation in australia. but any dog is a "killing machine". i have worked at 2 different dog kennles for about 5 years now. the only dog i have ever been bit by was a golden. pit bulls have bad reps. but think about it every breed goes through a time when they are considerd dangerous. the doberman, german shepherd, and rotts had there time. now its the pit. any one who fights dogs should be shot! its not right! to a degree pits were breed to fight, any one who denies that is ignorant. pits are lovers. they are not your family dog but they are a good pet when bred, trained and treated right. i live near detroit and have handled pits for years. i dont believe any breed should be banned. A person should be aloud to own the dog they want. thanks Trisha

 

Most of the people on this board will not disagree with this

This seems like you're contradicting yourself here, what is the difference between a "family dog" and a "good pet."

Is this a "family pet"?

THIS I agree with.

 

You know, you people always make me feel better. I saw this topic on Yahoo news just now, I went into the postboard for it and got pissed off by the ignorant assholes who believe all pits should be put down. Here's the link if you want to go see it and maybe do some input.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050504/od_nm/australia_dogs_dc_1

I don't kow if this will take you to the posting area or not, but "Discuss" is always under the news article.

 

Hi All,
I'm enjoying reading this board. I'm doing some research - I'm a pro freelance writer, and a veterinary student. Just wanted to mention a few things.

I think "Trisha" said:
"pits are lovers. they are not your family dog but they are a good pet when bred, trained and treated right." I understand this statement completely. I do not have a pit bull, but I have a breed that is considered dangerous in Australia - the Australian Cattle Dog. I find it very ironic that a country that bred these little devils (I LOVE mine, don't get me wrong!) would dare complain about American Pit Bulls. Good grief. In Australia, ACD's are not generally considered good family dogs - they are used for cattle herding. Do I agree?

Well. . . .I got mine as a rescue at 8 mos. She behaved as if she'd been abused. On top of being a "hard" breed and as headstrong as they come, she is also a true alpha female. She likes to be boss. Pretty much daily, she and I have a little tussle about who is at the top of the ladder. I employed a private trainer to work with she and I for over a year. Now, she's a great dog, but it took a lot of work and dedication.

I think it's her nature to challenge. I think that is true of an alpha, and especially a dominant breed. I have learned it's the same with wolf/dog hybrids, and I imagine some of you with pit bulls probably relate too.

I adore this dog; I like the challenge, and I admire her fiestiness and fearlessness. . I don't trust her around other dogs - she's pretty dog aggressive. Just who she is. I have to take it into consideration when we are out and about. She's a great pet, a great guard dog. Would she be a good family dog? NO!!! I have had her around kids, and she is super protective and sweet with them. But unsupervised, no way. Her prey drive is high, and if she is injured, she reacts quickly and instinctively.

Anyway, my point is. . . . when it comes to "hard breed" dogs, like pits, ACD's, dobies, rotties, shepherds, etc. I think some breeds do require a firmer handling, an experienced owner, and some common sense. It makes me sick that people believe the things they do about pit bulls - I think constant community education is the answer. But also it's important that those of us who own such breeds are honest with ourselves about the inherent issues and extra responsibility of owning these dogs. For the sake of the DOGS, we have to be honest about them, and start from there. So in my case, to be HONEST, yes, ACD's are tough customers. They are bred to bully steers and they don't shrink from a fight. They are extremely territorial and dominant by nature. That is just a fact. . . .we start from there, raise them the best way we can, responsibly, and chances are they can exist quite safely with society.

By the way. . . yes, I do believe that if I had had this dog from 6 wks, she would be different. Of course. Sigh. . . .

For the record, I would have another. I do love the strong personality. I also have a border collie - very different dog. Smart, a lot of stamina and energy, sweet as can be. . . .and very very timid!! A different sort altogether. It's fascinating to have the two breeds together - you really get a taste of how different breeds can be. I get really angry at trainers who fancy themselves able to "train ANY dog" with a given method. We need to admit and accept that breeds ARE different and enjoy the difference. I don't believe you can train a dog like my ACD with "all positive" training. In fact, if I had done that, I would have had a serious bite wound, and the dog would be euthanized. Because I really love dogs, and their inherent differences, I wish we lived in a world that was more comfortable with their differences. We need to fashion training for an individual dog, not who we think a dog SHOULD be.

I sometimes wonder if when owners get into trouble with their pit bulls, they had a trainer that didn't have serious experience with or common sense about, such a breed. So the dog never understands who is alpha to begin with, and one day decides to prove that HE is.

Thanks for reading this far! You guys keep up the good work. Best of luck to everyone and their dogs. Susie

 

According to one media report of this incident - A police superindentant (reasonably senior) identified the two dogs as a "pit bull type" and "not a pit bull type" that had attacked the mans dog. The man intervened in the fight.

Needless, to say the media (including the paper that reported the police identification) & politicians insist on calling them two pit bull terriers . Me, I figure a senior police officer has got more chance of getting the dogs' type right than media or politicians who are deciding what to do based on media reports.

;^)#
just passing - back to http://www.edba.org.au to fight this BSL in Oz

 

I agree with the statement of any dog being a killing machine.The pit bulls are the most pleasant dogs ever created.I have always had a pit bull and never had an ounce of trouble with any of them.These dogs date back all the way to the Roman error. They use to be used to fight, herd farm animals, and were considered the nanny of the home for the reason of being so great with children.People really need to get their facts straight about these dogs before judging.