When Jade moved into her new property with her two dogs, she has no idea that a rotting fence paling would lead to her spending six months fighting to free her pet from the local pound.
On December 4, 2012 Jade’s two dogs broke through the fence of the home she’d moved into just three days earlier. Luckily, they didn’t end up on the street but in a neighbours yard, which could have meant the dogs were taken straight home. Unfortunately however this neighbour assumed calling the local ranger from Monash Council was the right thing to do, and both dogs went into the Burwood RSPCA pound.
One of Jade’s dogs, Kerser, was a few days later assessed as a restricted breed and Monash began the process of having him destroyed.
Jade had purchased Kerser from a friend back in April 2012, making him just 8 months old when he was seized. He was sold to her as an American Staffordshire terrier cross puppy. And Kerser was unregistered as Jade had delayed doing it, knowing she was soon moving into her own place.
Being unregistered, and being identified as a restricted breed, was an immediate death sentence for Kerser as any restricted breed dog that is found to be unregistered must be destroyed.
Distraught, Jade appealed this decision with Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
The April court case saw Kerser’s declaration upheld and he was formally declared a restricted breed. VCAT deputy president Heather Lambrick who upheld the council’s decision said;
“The overall impression of Kerser is one of compliance. He may not be a perfect example of a pit bull. However, such a dog probably does not exist”
Jade has since worked to take this decision to the Supreme Court, but this appeal has now been denied. Kerser will be killed.
Kerser is scheduled to be “humanly euthanised” Monday 3rd June at 5pm.
I am allowed to spend one hour with him and then I’ll be getting him cremated.
Please everybody we need to band together to stop BSL. Let’s change this so nobody else has to go through what I am.
Kerser, just a pup at not even 2 years old, who never hurt or threatened to hurt anybody and whose only crime was to escape from his brand new backyard will, thanks to Victorian dog laws, die in the kennels where he has spent the last six months away from his family.
Jade will pay for her paperwork oversight, not with a ‘first warning’ or a fine, but with her best friend being murdered by direction of the state government.
Shame Victoria. Shame.
Kerser’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FreeKerser)
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