Mar2015_DOG OWNERSHIP
The Joys
AND The Responsibilities
DID YOU KNOW . . . that taking you dog to an off-leash area is not just a case of letting them loose in the enclosure to do whatever they please?
– You must be able to control them . . . They must be already trained to respond to your commands!
DID YOU KNOW . . . that just putting the lead on your dog doesn’t make it OK to take them outside your property for a walk?
Apart from the whole having to take supplies with you should your pet decide to “do their business” during the course of the excursion, there is also the fact that you have to be able to effectively control your pet.
A recent discussion with another resident set the wheels in motion for this information piece. Comments were made about what was believed to be the reasonable responsibilities of the owner of pets when the animal has behaved badly in public. Investigations have revealed that, whilst those comments made sounded reasonable and caring, they are not part of regulations to which people must adhere.
The following information (*** – ***)has been extracted from the Moreton Bay Regional Council website:
https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/general.aspx?id=9033
*** All dog owners hope their pet won’t show aggression towards other animals or people, but it can and does happen for many reasons.
Pet owners are responsible and legally liable for the actions of their animals.
We are all aware of the need to protect our community from the danger and fear of dog attacks. People have a right to feel safe in the community and it is the responsibility of pet owners to ensure the protection of others and to keep public areas safe for people to enjoy.
Report an attack
If you would like to report a dog attack please contact council in the first instance to provide as many details as possible, such as:
– Date, time and location of attack
– Description of how the attack occurred
– Description and location of the attacking dog.
– All dog attacks should be reported to council on 3205 0555. This number can be called 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.
Understanding responsible pet ownership
– Always supervise children around dogs.
– Dog play can become rough and may sometimes result in a bite.
– Constantly monitor your children when a dog is around and never leave babies or young children alone with a dog.
– Keep children away from a dog if it is sleeping, feeding (especially chewing a bone) or if recovering from an illness or injury.
– Always check to see that your fencing or dog enclosure is secure. Keeping your dog confined will greatly lessen the risk to others in the community.
– You must use a leash when walking your dog in public and treat off leash areas with the same respect as other public areas. If you are going to let your dog run in an off leash area, you must be able to control your dog by voice command so it does not attack or cause fear to a person or other animal.
There are additional special responsibilities for owners of dangerous, menacing and restricted dogs and owners should contact Council for details.
How victims are impacted
Being bitten or attacked by a dog can produce serious physical, psychological and emotional effects, not only for the person who is attacked but also for the owner of the attacking dog.
Even if the victim is not bitten, the threat of the attack can cause lasting trauma.
Declared dangerous and menacing dogs
Council may declare a dog to be dangerous or menacing:
Where it has seriously attacked or acted in a way that has caused fear to person or other animal.
Where it has been declared dangerous or menacing by another local government.
There are laws to prevent dog attacks, and should your dog attack or cause fear to a person or other animal it may be declared dangerous or menacing.
Once a dog has attacked or caused fear the Council may declare the animal as a Dangerous or Menacing Dog and the owner will have to comply with the special conditions listed in the Legislation. ***
So . . . when a dog is declared Dangerous or Menacing the owner must then comply with a list of conditions including micro-chipping, displaying signage advising of a dangerous or menacing dog on the premises, provision of a purpose built enclosure within the existing fencing, and paying a fee to keep the dog. Yet more conditions are imposed on a ‘declared dangerous’ animal as opposed to just ‘menacing’. So obviously it would be better to not have these conditions imposed, which is where prevention of an attack happening is certainly the preferred option . . .
Remember, to report an attack call, 3205 0555 – anytime i.e. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
