Page 872 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 20 March 2019
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As Minister Steel mentioned, in the current situation, which we support, domestic animal services rangers must weigh up a variety of factors when making decisions about the fate of an animal. For example, one that I have been told about is a greyhound in New South Wales that was declared dangerous after escaping its yard during a storm and killing a duck. This greyhound had passed multiple temperament tests. The behaviour of the greyhound in killing the duck, whilst very sad, could not be described as uncharacteristic of many dogs or necessarily as a case of neglect or poor training. It was a terrible accident. In circumstances such as this, it does seem reasonable to give the dog and the owner a second chance, particularly given that the owner would need in these circumstances to commit to improving the area in which the dog is contained. That would seem to be a more reasonable response to that issue than the death of the dog.
What is concerning in Ms Lawder’s motion, and indeed in Minister Steel’s amendment, are the statistics showing an increase in reported dogs attacks. It would be really helpful to know what has driven this increase in the reporting of dog attacks. It would seem likely that the change in December 2017 to increase requirements for the mandatory reporting of dog attacks has resulted in this increase. Of course, it may also be related to the fact that there are more people, due to population increase; therefore there are more dogs and, statistically, there are more attacks. Nonetheless, it would be very interesting to know what is behind that change in reported dog attacks.
An issue that I have continually raised when discussing domestic animal legislation and dangerous dogs is the need for a focus on responsible dog ownership. Responsible dog ownership means registering, desexing, microchipping, vaccinating and training your dog. It means taking your dog for regular walks on a lead or to an off-leash dog park or area, ensuring that they are properly contained and cannot escape when home, as well as being mindful when around others, especially children. Responsible dog ownership means, in fact, complying with the current legislation.
Irresponsible dog owners are those who do not comply with the current legislation and put the welfare of their dogs, as well as other animals, including dogs and people, at risk. The sad fact is that, too often in these circumstances, the pet bears the brunt of the punishment. The dog might well be euthanised, while the owner can get another dog.
Minister Steel’s amendment provides figures that show that from 2017 to 2018 the number of dogs euthanised by DAS increased from three to 29. That is a very major increase—nearly tenfold. It may be the result of the mandatory reporting regime. Nonetheless, there needs to be a stronger focus on dog owners and their treatment of their pets. It is, after all, the approach to training and care that the dog owner takes, much more than the dog’s breed or innate temperament, that most strongly influences whether a dog is likely to be involved in an attack.
Last year, as both previous speakers have noted, the number of domestic animal services rangers increased from eight to 16. That is very good. The government said a year ago that it would increase the number to 16 rangers and that that would result in an overall improvement in responsiveness and service quality and an increase in
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