Born in September 2009, pup Bobo was a surprise gift to his owner, from his girlfriend. Bobo’s father was an American Staffordshire Terrier and mum was a Johnson’s Bulldog.
In his short life, his owner loved and took care of him. He went to the vet. He had never strayed or become lost. And he went to obedience school.
On 20 March 2012, Bobo was seized from his home by Hume City Council officers. He was taken to the Lost Dogs’ Home in North Melbourne.
“Until Bobo was seized, I was not aware of Breed Specific Legislation. I was in fact shocked to answer the door on the morning of the 20th March 2012, to be faced with three people – two council officers and one police officer at the door. There were two more police officers in the driveway and a bulky man holding a noose on a pole. There were police officers who looked like they were from something like a SWAT team. There were four police and council vehicles in the street that I could see. I asked if I should have received a warning before this visit and was told no.
Bobo’s owner
Six days later a declaration was made that Bobo was a ‘pit bull’. The assessment was conducted by Ms Rosemarie Walsh, a senior local laws officer at the Council. Ms Walsh had been a council officer since 2004, and attended the Dogs Victoria/Department of Primary Industries single day of training in 2011.
Bobo’s owner took the case to VCAT, disputing the Hume Council claim that he fit the Victorian ‘Standard for Restricted Breed Dogs’. He also offered the endorsement of his dog training school;
During the subsequent weeks that (Bobo) attended training, he did not display any aggressive behaviour to myself (the Instructor), the other members in attendance, or any of the other dogs/puppies at our club
President of Broadmeadows Obedience Dog Club
But at the VCAT hearing on the 20 August 2012, Bobo’s declaration was upheld.
His owner applied to challenge in the Supreme Court, but after ten months of fighting for the life of his pet, he had understandably become overwhelmed by the situation. On February 25th, on advice from his Solicitor, he surrendered Bobo to the council and abandoned the appeal.
Bobo was killed at the Lost Dogs Home, under direction from the Hume Council.
We certainly have issues with pit bull terrier people as we stand up for Breed Specific Legislation and you’ll get people who are opposed to that.
So, over time if you stand up for what you believe in, you get some enemies. You know, and that’s what we’ve got.
Graeme Smith, General Manager, Lost Dogs Home
Government sanctioned killing, given the support of an ‘animal welfare’ organisation.
RIP Bobo.
This is disgusting…he looks nothing like a pitbull….i dont know how some people sleep at night taking a animals life purely because he looks like a specific breed…..where does the animals temprement come into it….welcome to the holocaust for dogs have we as a human race learnt nothing…somtimes im ashamed to call myself a human being when we are capable of such atrocities :-(
it doesnt even matter even if he looks a bit,or alike to pitbull its very cruel to put down healthy unagresive dog/animal. Terible. I would never give up my dog,ever i would do everything,even take her (i have a female pit) somewere and hide her if something like that happend.
So disgusting. No dog deserves to die because of the breed it is .It is so wrong for loving family pets to be ripped from their families just because the powers that be say so. The people making these decisions have definitely earned a special place in hell. RIP sweet Bobo. So sorry the people who did thgis to you were ignorant and heartless. May you run free and happy at the bridge until you meet your loving family again.
hello there i’m so sorry that poor little bobo was put to sleep because of ignorance this so called officer was untrained & she definitely downt know what a staffie looks like as she would have truly seen that bobo was indeed a staffier he’s got floppy ears of a staffie not small ones which stick up my saffie maggie may is a black & white staffie & she has he same fathead of a staffie too just like bobo does has this woman ever had a dog & what is she doin workin there she must hate animals why work there to confiscate dogs to put them down it must give her power a real hero isnt she NOT how can she sleep at night kama darlin it will come & bite u on the backside when u least expect it hey cheers narelle
This shocking episode is a sad echo of what happened to another dog, Lennox, in Belfast – who was also taken from his family’s fenced backyard by a dysfunctional dog warden hell-bent on destroying a non-aggressive dog who had never bitten anyone. Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is quite simply dog racism based on breed and appearance. Like Lennox, Bobo was not even a pitbull (many of which are sweet-natured and good with kids, by the way) but deemed to “look like” that breed. No dog warden should be permitted to seize an innocent dog from its owner’s property; no owner should feel forced to surrender a dog who has done nothing wrong. Dog owners must unite and demand then uphold our legal right to own a well-behaved dog, and an innocent dog’s right to live unharassed by power-crazed bullies employed by councils as dog wardens. Dog gestapo is more accurate. These councils and these over-zealous dog wardens should be sued, both the organisation and the individuals involved, until they stop causing such trauma and heartbreak to dogs and their owners.
ohhh so sad you could have requested a DNA test from the vets, this would have solved this :)
No Nicole they do not accept DNA in these court hearings for BSL,its purely based on looks,just like Hitler did!!!
Nicole DNA is not accepted as there is no specific DNA reference for a pitbull, they’re considered a ‘type’ of dog
Pathetic council!
Police used to seize pets instead of fight crime??
Graeme Smith – there are words to describe narrow minded idiots like you – none of which can be published!
BSL is being abolished worldwide, but Australa still has it. Victoria, what a crap state to live in!
RIP Bobo – you are a good boy! I just hope that Hume Council were humane enough to give this family member a pain free and peaceful death. It’s the age ol’ argument “nature”verses “nurture” – in this case beaucracy ruled.
I am at a complete loss for words.
Horrified, sick to the stomach, saddened, heartbroken, disbelief, anger…
What a beautiful dog.
What a complete injustice.
Graeme Smith you are a joke in the eyes of animal rescue.
poor bobo, I hate low lifes that do this kind of thing! if they can get rid of pet just like that imagine wat they would do to there child! so so sad makes me angry
This is simply WRONG . . to start with why so many people to collect one dog? What gives them the right to go onto your property ? Why on earth is no background check done on the dogs seized? Lost Dogs Home just a front for ‘kill’ mentality,
RIP Bobo
Disgusting, should not be breed specific, should be dog specific, if a dog is aggressive and attacks, then it should be surrendered and euthanized, but people should not have officials turn up on their door step and just take your dog to kill it, because it looks like an aggressive dog breed.
If I was the owner, I would have fought tooth and nail until the very end, and I would have done everything within my power to save him, however, I understand that after 10 months, he was defeated.
This legislation is barbaric and it is discriminatory and it needs to be outlawed. I hope to god a damn good lawyer hears about this and takes on the legislative process, and gets change for Bobo’s memory.
Totally unacceptable that a “animal welfare” shelter should support a flawed and hysterical law such as the BSL. We should withdraw all support for this organisation and black list them by asking the public to withdraw all support. Please name and shame and I am sure the community will get behind this 100% and close them down.
Christy, whilst I disgaree with this barbarism and the fact the Lost Dogs Home is supporting it. Pulling support from them completely only hurts the animals that are unfortunately there under their care. I know you’re angry but think about the other animals that will suffer because of it. Think before you say such silly things please
That is absolutely disgraceful. Aside from the dog being taken away from the owner for literally no reason other than it looked like it may have been an aggressive breed, no form of DNA testing was done to prove that the dog was actually a pit bull. That means that literally any dog could see the same fate based on anyone’s ignorant and uneducated opinion on what an aggressive dog even is. How can a person work in such an industry, I’d sooner cut my arms off than support such an unfair and barbaric act.
Not sure what happened here. What did the dog actually do to be seized. Had he attacked someone, he sure doesn’t appear that way. He looks placid and beautiful. Surely council and police resources could be better spent on more pressing issues. I cannot understand what all this is about. What was the reason or it just bullying techniques? Was there a complaint about the dog? The only dogs that I need to keep my beautiful mastiff x boxer away from are the small yappy ones that keep seeming to want to attack him. I’m not sure that I would be mentally and emotionally okay after what that owner has gone through trying to save what seems like a beautiful family pet……………
Leanne ,Bobo did nothing wrong,they seized him from his own yard purely based on looks and thats it and alo DNA cannot be accepted in BSL cases only on looks alone!!!!
The slaughter of innocent animals just because of how they look is barbaric it is a national disgrace.
Super sad.. Poor owner & pup…!! Total idiotic discriminatory behaviour.
One more as of today, Graeme.
I am disgusted with the council and the BSL for letting this happen , the owners did everything right in the time they had bobo love it , trained it and it was part of their family i am so so so sorry for the owners and the other people involved in this should hang their heads in shame
Just for anyone suggesting DNA testing – it is inadmissible and irrelevant to these cases. Along with temperament and history.
The laws in Victoria are based entirely on a visual assessment.
Basically, any dog from any litter, if unlucky, could end up meeting the ‘visual standard’ for a restricted dog.
Wow, if that isn’t discrimination, I don’t know what is. Each case should take into consideration (a) the DNA results, and (b) the individual circumstances. If the dog is neither a pitbull nor a proven menace there is no reason for the dog to be killed. There is absolutely no justification for it.
According to the Aust. Canine Animal Council (ACAC) the breeds of dog responsible for attacks tend to reflect their relative popularity in the community. Aso, there is apparently no comprehensive reporting system on dog attacks. Breed Specific Legislation, if it must exist, should not be effective in the community until it is properly researched and supported by factual data. Pets are family members to the majority of people and for the most part are responsibly managed by their owners.
If my dog wounded someone I would accept the council’s right to euthanase her, regardless of breed. I wouldn’t like it but I would accept it. The community has a right to be safe.
Blanket BSL killings are unjust, cruel and cause untold grief for their owners. It is discriminatory and a threat to every dog owner as it can be ‘updated’ to include other breeds at any time. I would be interested to know if the relative number of dog attacks is reducing as a result of BSL. Can anyone provide this data?
The main reason that a DNA test won’t do any good is the fact that ‘pit bull’ is not actually a breed. Another basic reason why BSL is ridiculous!
The best data and justification as to why BSL will never work anywhere, is actually a detailed report done by the Australian Veterinary Association, who are against BSL:
http://www.ava.com.au/sites/default/files/AVA_website/pdfs/Dangerous%20dogs%20-%20a%20sensible%20solution%20FINAL.pdf
It’s very informative and yet governments still just don’t give a crap.
You’s think that the manager of the Lost Dog’s Home would know something about breed distinction, specifically that the ‘pitbull’ is not a breed of dog. American Staffordshire Terriers are the real victims here, every dog I have seen that has been seized has been an Amstaff. So, Graeme, are you saying that you believe in the killing of innocent dogs? That’s what BSL is and it is disturbing that someone who is the manager of a dog shelter approves the murder of innocent dogs based on the way they look and not their actions or temperment. I wonder how you can sleep at night. I wonder if you have ever even spent time with an Amstaff because anyone who has knows that they are the best breed, especially with children. Dogs bite because they are mistreated, abused and neglected, not because they are of a certain breed. That’s like saying that all German people are insane psychopaths just because Hitler was. Just because an Amstaff attacked a little girl, doesn’t mean that they all will. Hmmm., what you don’t know about that terrible incident is that the dog was abused but the media likes to leave out details like that because the story just won’t sell, will it? Bobo was innocent and you should not be in charge of an animal shelter if you are stupid enough to support BSL. Or were you paid off by someone, say, the Hume Council? Bobo was a victim of human stupidity and the fact that no one wants to take responsibility for their own actions. Graeme, you would have met and spent time with Bobo, you would have looked into his eyes and still you had him put to sleep. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Why was no DNA test performed. Sounds really stupid not to have had one… Sounds like the owner had something to hide..
Because the Victorian Government & Councils do not except DNA..
DNa is not accepted in BSL cases,thats why this law has to go!!!!Its based on purely the way a dog looks and nothing else!!!
Oops my bad, missed the prior comment.
Disgusting…all involved (except the owners) should be ashamed…
My heart has been torn in two.I can’t even find the words to say.This is beyond wrong Please remember that Bobo new you tried to save him and he will always be a special part of you
This is disgusting. Breed Specific legislation is a joke – it is equivalent to racial profiling.
OK, so how naive am I. But, how on earth can a DNA test not be admissible? I do NOT understand that AT ALL!
Visual test over scientific evidence. IF that is correct, then BSL is even more ridiculous than I already thought it was. Unbelievable. And we call ourselves a ‘civilised’ society. What a joke! My sincere condolences to Bobo’s family. Absolutely, completely & utterly heartbreaking in any circumstances but especially, if a DNA test was conducted & ruled as inadmissible.
Someone please explain to me why this is any different to “ethnic cleansing”?
Ooohhh, yes that’s right, it’s animals so really it doesn’t count…
My heartfelt sympathy to the owners of Bobo.
It seems to me that Hume council and their disgraceful imbeciles who claim to be experts, are the only ones lately that are enforcing this barbaric, one sided, biased and inhumane and imoral law! They seem to to gloat on this “power” and regularly abuse it to make themselves feel good. In actual fact it makes them look extremely incompetent and are fast becoming the epitome of vulgarity. The councillors and their incompetent retards should stand down immediately and bow their heads in shame for the constant harrassment of innocent families and their beloved canines. who the hell gives these imbeciles the right to make a professional decision on specific breeds when they are not even qualified to wipe their own backsides?? The laws need to change and the government needs public pressure! All the hume residents please do not vote for these halfwits at the next local election!
This is downright personal and a waste of your money that you pay to them every year for a property will never be private as long as their greedy fingers are still attached!! BAN BSL! And fire the councillors!! As a human species we should be di
I wish there was a QC that would take on these cases pro bono! Drag it out aslong as they can so this council can spend hundreds of dollars in legal fees only to admit defeat!! your all a bunch of power trippers!! pull your heads in! This has to stop!!
We need a massive protest outside our disgraceful premiers doorstep!!!
There are no DNA markers for “pit bulls” so they will never DNA test to save embarrassment. And I think the author is being extremely generous using the word “overwhelmed” to describe the owners actions.
Welfare??? the LDH have fooled the very community they serve! Depite all the thousands of animals killed every year at the LDH…..Bobo is the symbol of everything that is WRONG with that slaughterhouse! Appalling outcome at the hands of supposed professionals.
I have one clear message for the Board and management at the LDH…..no matter how convincing your spin, no matter how persuasive your marketing (for which you spend hundreds of thousands per year to trick your community) you will NEVER receive my support…..personally and financially!
Rescued with Love…………please welcome your new donor!
“this person Ms Walsh had been a council officer since 2004, and attended the Dogs Victoria/Department of Primary Industries single day of training in 2011.”
I copied and pasted this I can’t believe that this person who only had 1 day of training,can actually have the knowledge that she thinks, she can tell what breeds dogs are with out doing any DNA, testing… I am horrified that this beautiful dog bobo was put to sleep…
How ignorant are the people who make these laws.The breed should not come into it at all.It should be the temperament of the dog that counts as the faults lie with the owners and not the dogs. Many young guys set out to train some dogs as fighters and it’s they who should be taken away not the dogs. I feel very sad for Bobo’s owners and the fact that it was sprung on them as it was.
Ms Walsh how do you sleep at night. Hume council you are a disgusting disgrace.
Horrified & disgusted! What a pathetic disgrace you are to the face of animal rescue,. Ms Walsh & Graeme Smith. I hope your karma catches up with you, and one day you have to sit down with your children & explain why their beloved pet has been taken away because of some ridiculous beaurocratic bullcrap. Our hearts go out to bobo’s family, & all those who have suffered this awful loss.
Shared from Pound Reform Alliance Australia:
THE LOST DOGS’ HOME’S CORE VALUES ARE NOT WORTH THE PAPER THEY ARE WRITTEN ON:
– “TO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS, VALUE AND WELFARE OF ANIMALS”
– “TO BE FAIR AND ETHICAL IN ALL OUR DEALINGS”.
Bobo was under the care of LDH for nearly a year as he sat in one of their concrete impound pens. Staff would have fed him, and no doubt fell in love with this gentle friendly family pet with NO history of aggression.
Bobo has now been killed at LDH, under direction from Hume City Council.
Naturally, LDH staff who cared for Bobo would be devastated at this tragedy, along with the thousands of supporters who fought to save an innocent dog’s life.
What did LDH management do?
Despite their core values “TO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS, VALUE AND WELFARE OF ANIMALS”, LDH management did nothing to fight for the rights of Bobo. On the contrary, LDH stood alone as the only animal “welfare” organisation to not only ENDORSE breed-specific legislation but to ACTUALLY PROMOTE the killing and eradication of bull-breed dogs.
“TO BE FAIR AND ETHICAL IN ALL OUR DEALINGS”, regardless of how innocent, friendly, well trained, placid and social Bobo was, LDH supported his killing…is this fair and ethical?
Write to the following people and let them know what you think of their support of breed-specific legislation:
– Graeme Smith, Managing Director, Lost Dogs’ Home: [email protected]
– Denis Napthine, Premier of Victoria: [email protected]
This needs to stop, and it needs to stop now. This Pitt Bull Situation is so sad and whats even more sad is the fact that society is allowing this to happen.. How dangerous is a Pitt Bull????????? I would love a direct answer to that. And No l am not talking about a Pitt Bull thats been tied up and tortured to become so dangerous it could even be out of character for a dog, more like the nature of a tiger or a Lion out in the wild.. l’m sure there has been many whom has owned a Pitt Bull in the past and has had great pleasure from this dog, what l’m confused about is the fact that the term l believe is used with this breed of dog is that they are killing machines. I have never owned a Pitt Bull although l have been around them a few times and found them to be loving, loyal dogs. My question to Animal welfare is,, Is a Pitt Bull a danger to society once its born or is it once they become a certain age. The reason as to why lm asking such a stupid question is because l know l would most likely get a stupid answer back. If a puppy is born it is not automatically vicious, its up to the breeders and then owners to care for the dog and provide proper training. When there are dogs that have been abused and tortured by owners its highly likely that this dog will retaliate, its kind of common sense, just like if a human being as been mistreated for so long, they tend to lash out in ways that may not be fit for society, but thats ok, because they wont be destroyed. I have a maltese terrier and he was attacked by a German Sheppard, so servere that his neck was hanging on by a thread. This German Sheppard was going through Doggy School and was almost finished his training when he attacked my dog. No one was worried about it and it certainly didnt hit the local news paper, lm sure these attacks happen everyday with various breeds but we only ever here about it when it involves Pitt Bulls. Getting back to the Obvious issues, No breed of dogs should be destroyed untill they have attack or they are showing threats to attack. The owners are the only ones that should be held accountable, the cruel treatment these dogs are subjected to, to become killer dogs is disgusting and yes, more likely these dogs would need to be destroyed as they could not fit into society in a safe way, but why arnt the owners held responsable, why can’t this breed of dogs ( Pitt Bull ) remain, and why can’t they be looked after from people that wont mistreat them. I strongly believe that destroying this breed is not the answer. Like every other animal in this world, they have the right to live…….. My heart goes out To Bobo and the owner. When things like this happen, the public really need to get involved and protest against this, Bobo and others didnt have a voice, its up to us to fight for them.
Absolutely sickening to kill a dog that has done nothing wrong. Shame on you Hume City Council!
Councils and their management are a disgrace australia wide, this sort of thing based on an untrained and poorly trained persons eye or judgement happens everywhere
This is horrific, he does’nt look like a pitbull, but even if he was, it’s how you bring them up, i had a pitbull when i lived in Darwin, he use to sleep with my cat & he would play with my daughter’s Rabbit, we also had 3 chook’s & 1 of them would peck the food out of his teeth. There was a time when these small shallow minded moron’s tried to ban German Shepherd’s & Doberman’s, wwhen will they realise it’s not the breed it’s the owner’s that shape these dog’s, i’m so sorry Bobo, RIP sweetheart..
It’s so sad that the LDH, the one animal organisation (I’ve omitted the word ‘welfare’ on purpose) with influence and a real presence in the media continue to misrepresent animals.
If they were remotely concerned with animl welfare and in particular Bobo, they would have questioned the council and raised concerns and questions on behalf of the owner. They could be an organisation that an animal owner could approach and gain advice from.
Instead, with their millions in revenue, they continue to work against the animals and owners they claim to represent. They support knee jerk legislation that makes a government, keen to be seen to be doing something, happy.
It’s time for change at the LDH, from the top down ….
Run free Bobo xx
My heart breaks for these beautiful pets & their owners. BSL is wrong
I agree with Lisa….the way these so called pit bulls are being treated is just like Hitler all over again and The Lost Dogs Home is the concentration camp….I am surprised they don’t gas the dogs. I hope Graeme Smith and the Hume Council are proud of themselves for what they have done…..how do you all sleep at night knowing you have killed and will continue to kill innocent animals. Shame on all of you.
This is soooooo very upsetting. I cant begin to imagine the heartache these people have been subjected to by their local government… within Australia! I am shocked this is happening and also concerned as a Staffordshire owner and lover. They are a breed that really do not deserve any mistreatment and these people were such responsible pet owners with training etc, all necessary with the staffie breed. They are so cheeky but aggression is not their nature.
I believe with social media today and the amount of staffie owners out there,,,, cant we as a community do something about this, maybe petition the local governement to change these laws. Any suggestions?
RIP Beautiful Girl… You were loved
Why why why??? We need to fight and protect the welfare of these poor babies!!!!! Makes me sick to my stomach! Damn these idiots and damn BSL!!
Why why why??? We need to fight and protect the welfare of these poor babies!!!!! Makes me sick to my stomach! Damn these idiots and damn BSL!! When will this end!!!
It makes me angry every time I read about a case like this… I don’t know how people that make those decisions sleep at night, it’s the most ridiculous law I have ever come across. RIP Sweet BoBo.
How appalling…. my heart has just sunken into my chest with grief for this poor boy and his distraught parents…
Shit.. If anyone ever tried this stunt with my beloved Jemma , they would have to take me and all the other people that love my girl along with her….
Some idiots in this world just haven’t a clue.
But then… We Can’t put brains on statues…..!
REST PEACEFULLY WITH ALL THE DOGGY ANGELS BOBO……xoxo
There is a way to scan peoples brains in order to tell whether they have the pattern in their frontal lobe activity to become psychopaths. Generally though you also need environmental triggers such as horrific upbringings to cause the antisocial behaviour to manifest. Maybe we should start looking at scanning everyone at birth and seeing if their have the genetic disposition to become serial killers- and if they do we should simply terminate them. I wonder how humanity would stomach that type of genetic cleansing. I am all for protecting children from dangerous dogs- but there are ways of doing this after determining antisocial behaviour in animals before we look at blanket termination!
Outraged and very sad!
Poor Bobo and poor owners!
Humans who do things like killing innocent, beautiful dogs like Bobo…
I don’t have words for them…
What about all the tax payers’ money to pay for
Police etc? Treating dog owners like criminals…
Good Lord – what is this world coming to!?
My heartfelt sympathy to the owners – you did your
very best… wish I could find any comforting
words… ((( hugs )))
This is wrong, the Herald Sun has been contacted and a journalist by the name of Rebekah Cavanagh is interested in doing a story on the killing of innocent pets. My friend has contacted her and given her this exact case (whilst we thought he was still alive) and details of people to contact but am not sure if they will. Anyone who may know this case intimately please contact her at [email protected]. This could make a difference in the BSL.