Father declares dog fight

Australia -- A FATHER whose five-year-old son was savaged by a pit bull terrier is primed to become a dog law reform campaigner and says the breed should be banned.

Jordan Wisby, 5, of Illawong in southern Sydney, was released from St George hospital yesterday after being mauled walking home from school on Friday.

His father Stephen yesterday said he would meet Sutherland Shire Council officials this week to learn more about companion animal rules.

Mr Wisby said he didn't want other children to suffer the same injuries as his son and believed major changes could be made to state laws.

"What are these dogs doing in society in the first place?," he said.

"Why not ban them, or keep them muzzled and tethered while at home."

Mr Wisby said little Jordan was coping well, considering the major cuts to his head, arm and shoulder after being thrown around "like a rag doll".

Three years ago, the Queensland Government banned pit bull terrier breeding and allowed councils to ban people from keeping them. The premier Peter Beattie described pit bull terriers as "killing machines".

In NSW, pit bull terriers must be muzzled in public and kept behind a child-proof enclosure but there are no specific ownership or breeding bans.

A spokeswoman for Local Government Minister Tony Kelly yesterday said, while the Government expressed its sympathy for Jordan, there were no plans to introduce pit bull bans.

She said research showed the greatest number of attacks were caused by cross-bred dogs which were genetically impossible to identify.

She said Mr Kelly would be seeking an urgent meeting with council representatives and rangers to see whether enforcement powers could be strengthened.

The Daily Telegraph reported in March that a quarter of serious dog attacks in Sydney's largest council, Blacktown, were committed by pit bulls or pit bull crosses.

Sutherland Mayor Kevin Schreiber joined Mr Wisby in calling for pit bull bans to be considered, along with greater education.

"I support any moves to ban these and other dangerous breeds of dogs in NSW," he said.

"Legislation has already been passed to this effect in other states and surely we dont need any more senseless attacks to demonstrate to the State Government why NSW shouldn't follow suit."

Mr Schreiber said the council would move to ban the owner of the pit bull which attacked Jordan from owning a dog for five years. The dog was put down late on Saturday after its owner gave consent.

A Sutherland council spokeswoman said it appeared a yard enclosure had been built but the dog escaped through a house window.

She said the dog had not bitten anyone before but had been reported for lunging at people.

She added the council would have sought a court order to remove the animal from the property but a neighbour who had previously been menaced by the dog had decided not to give a written statement.

 

My first thought - why was a 5 year old walking home unattended?!?!?! My son is 5, and although things may be different in Australia from the US, I still cannot fathom my little boy walking home from school by himself. Maybe I sound too overprotective, but at this age, he doesn't go in our yard without an adult with him! What's wrong with some people!!!

 

I think we tend to try and explain the situation a bit too much. The kid did nothing and was savaged by a people aggressive dog. I don't think you need to read much more into this article. I understand how the father feels. If I were uneducated about the breed and my experience with them was my son getting mauled I would probably be fighting the same fight. The point is that you can't hold every dog and owner accountable for the actions of one dog and owner. I honestly feel there should be much stiffer penalties for maulings and unprovoked dog attacks regardless of the breed. Irresponsible ownership is still the biggest issue here. Repeatedly lunging at people? It sounds like this dog was a time bomb. We need to start holding the owners accountable for these issues and quit making excuses for bad dogs. (BTW, I totally understand where you are coming from Spencer but the boy had every right to be walking home and the dog had NO right to be attacking anybody)

Regards,

B

 

Yea - I'm not trying to say that the dog had any right/reason to do that. And I agree that anyone has every right to walk down the street without having to fear being attacked. But still - dogs aren't the only thing people have to fear out there. That 5 year old boy should not have been walking home unattended. At the same time, that particular dog should not have even been kept alive, let alone be running loose. Due to the owner's irresponsibility, on top of the father's irresponsibility - a 5 year old boy had to suffer. I cannot control what others do (ie: I can't make sure all murderers are off the street, all "rabid" dogs are euthanized, etc), but what I can do is be responsible myself. And to me, allowing my 5 year old to walk home from school by himself is irresponsible. IMHO - it's not the kid's fault - it's not the dog's fault - but those are the 2 that are going to suffer as an outcome of downright irresponsible adults.

 

People should be able to walk freely no matter what age they are and not get attacked by dogs of any breed.

But it doesnt say that the boy was walking home alone.. and he survived so maybe someone was with him..

Sounds like the father is also going after the wrong people. I wonder exactly how many times the dog was reported for "lunging" at people and why animal control didnt check into it to make sure ..(even though usually a dog actually has to bite someone to be delcared dangerous or vicous) Again, another case of tougher laws when so called reports are made and not just baninng a breed!

 

Banning Is Not The Answer.