Page 1218 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 29 March 2017

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reflect that we need to do some more work to understand those presentations to EDs.

The amendment continues that this Assembly notes that:

(b) the second highest injury in dog attacks in ACT EDs was to the patient’s head;

(d) as a consequence of these attacks, 124 dogs were seized by officials in Canberra last year;

(e) on average, there is an attack reported in Canberra every day;

(f) dogs that have been found to have committed attacks on people or other animals can be returned to the community, often with stringent conditions;

(g) the number of dog attacks treated in ACT EDs has increased 50 per cent in the past 50 years;

(h) that penalties for dangerous dog attacks were increased in 2014; and

(i) in February 2016 the government set up a working group to investigate dog management process; and

(j) the ACT government has today released the draft Animal Welfare and Management Strategy for public comment.

That this Assembly:

(2) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) consider allocating more resources to investigate attacks by dogs;

(b) consider allocating more resources for education about obligations and responsibilities of dog ownership;

(d) review relevant laws and internal procedures that govern the management of dangerous dogs and report by the end of September 2017; and

(e) review the penalties associated with the management of dangerous dogs.

This is my own amendment. I understand that the opposition leader may wish for the Assembly to pass motions to call on the government to allocate more resources, but I believe it is highly unprecedented to have the Assembly calling on the executive to allocate more resources to a specific area. I have been very willing to amend the motion to say that the ACT government can consider allocating more resources to investigate attacks by dogs and consider allocating more resources for education but, again, the opposition are not going to support this amendment. I am not entirely sure

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