Baying for blood

As the owner of a couple of small breeds, meeting a savage dog (or dogs) when I’m out walking is something that plays often in my nightmares. Surely to watch your small dog, a loved family member, be hurt or killed in a dog attack must be one of the worst things a dog lover can live through. Especially if you are an elderly owner and already feeling vulnerable when out in the community. So the story of a Preston grandmother who lost her dog recently to an attack by a pair of roaming huskies was truly moving to anyone who’s ever loved a dog;

A Preston grandmother has accepted Darebin Council’s offer to cremate her west highland terrier after it was killed in a savage dog attack.

May Anderson said she was still recovering from the trauma of last Thursday’s assault on her beloved companion, which occurred in front of her.

The 89-year-old was leaving her Gower St home for a morning walk about 7.40am when two siberian huskies attacked and disembowelled her dog Hamish.

The dogs were seized and impounded and their fate was left in the hands of Council. Three weeks on, an update:

Only one of the two siberian huskies involved in a fatal dog attack in Preston will be euthanised.
…..
Darebin Council city works and development director Michael Ballock said an investigation revealed only the male husky was responsible.

He said the husky’s owner had given consent to euthanise the dog, found roaming in Preston with a bloodied snout.

The female husky would be deemed a menacing dog, requiring it to be muzzled and on a lead in public.

Mr Ballock said the council would not prosecute because destroying one dog was substantial punishment for any pet owner.

While I personally don’t advocate an ‘eye for an eye’ in the case of dog attacks, on the whole this seems like a pretty reasonable response, yes? By all reports the dogs weren’t known to council and hadn’t been known for escaping. The owner was out looking for them and when he found that they were responsible for an attack, complied with council directions allowing the dogs to be impounded. Seems like a pretty horrible incident that could have happend to any dog owner with large breeds who have accidently gotten out.

The council also seems to have taken a very compassionate stance, recognising that this owner has been genuinely affected by the loss of his dogs and the death of Ms Anderson’s Hamish.

We spend an awful lot of time in animal welfare, lobbying for council’s to act in a benevolent way, not to overreact, knee jerk, ban breeds or bring in over the top laws in response to isolated incidents. So surely we would all be congratulating Darebin City Council? Well no…

Dog attack penalties lenient, says RSPCA

RSPCA Victoria animal shelters manager Allie Jalbert said victims suffered when councils didn’t take the cases to court.

“By not prosecuting, the victims in the case are disadvantaged with respect to getting restitution for financial loss or personal suffering,” Ms Jalbert said.

“If (dangerous dog) laws … are meant to act as a deterrent and the council doesn’t prosecute, what sort of deterrent is it?”

Victoria has some of the most draconian dog control legislation in the country with animal control having over-reaching powers to kill pets caught roaming. What kind of deterrent can you possibly be looking to provide, prosecuting to the full extent of the law, a compliant owner whose dogs got out one day?

If the family of the dog who was killed wants to sue for ‘personal suffering’ then they are more than able to. Fines given to dog owners by council aren’t in some way allocated to the victim, but simply go into council coffers. In this case the council has obviously decided there is no benefit to the community in punishing this owner further.

This is the RSPCA for gossake – surely the dog being seized from its family and being killed for its ‘crime’ is enough? Where is the compassion?

We have bad laws in Victoria. And with animal welfare groups sensationalising and baying for blood, it’s really no suprise.