Two children have been injured by a roaming dog in Caboolture, north of Brisbane. The 7-year-old girl is in a stable condition suffering from facial wounds, while the a 5-year-old boy had arm and back injuries. Both have been admitted to the Royal Children’s Hospital following the incident.
(Obviously as a Mum, this is just a nightmare scenario. I’d like to send my best wishes to this family, for their kids’ speedy recovery, both emotionally and physically).
The dog involved is reported to be a ‘Rottweiler’ type and was caught soon after the attack. Moreton Bay Regional Council are investigating.
The Moreton Bay region (Caboolture Shire Council, Redcliffe and Pine Rivers)’s local paper, the Redcliffe & Bayside Herald has been for the past few years running the ‘Biting Back’ campaign, designed to drive for legislation banning ‘pit bull’ type dogs. In February this year, they were able to generate enough community hysteria to drive local council to ban the ‘pit bull breed’ outright in the area (even though just 13 of the dogs were registered with council).
So that turned out good. Some dogs banned, and other dogs running about hurting people.
Without scientific and evidence based solutions to dog management, dog attacks will continue to happen. As Ian Dunbar said during his recent visit to Australia – the ‘pit bull’ is no more dangerous than a dog of a comparable size and weight.
The behaviours ‘pit bulls’ exhibit are DOG behaviours, not unique to any breed. Dogs are dogs. And as this instance shows, an under-socialised, large-breed dog roaming unaccompanied is a real and significant danger to the community, regardless of the breed it happens to be.
Chasing the ‘pit bull’ boogy man, may have gotten the Redcliffe & Bayside Herald more letters-to-the-editors and Facebook shares, but they’ve failed to make the community safer and have sabotaged efforts to put good policy into place. Now two kids are in hospital. Shame on you.
