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.
Rest in Peace Bobo. I’m know there was someone very special waiting for you at the gate.
The Lost Dogs Home & THE HUME COUNCIL have a lot to answer for !!
WOW aren’t we lucky they has such an EXPERIENCED assessment officer in Ms Rosemarie Walsh,( a senior local laws officer at the Council) , is that not a fancy shmancy name for the DOG CATCHER !!!!!!!!!! WITH SUCH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE …..ONE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Many pet rescue groups & animal lovers are joining together & protesting against the lost dogs home. It is a shameful organization, very wealthy. The will not work with ANY rescue groups & there preferred method of assistance to animals is DEATH.
This is people gone mad!! I’m no expert and I can clearly see he is not a pitbull. I feel so so sorry for the owners. We have to stop this continuing.
I still can not believe that poor innocent Bobo has been killed. I cried myself to sleep last night thinking of him and how is owners must be feeling. I am sooooooooooooo very sorry for your lose. He was a beautiful boy. I find it hard to come to terms with people who can just easily take an other life away. Human or animal. If Bobo could have spoken for himself Im sure he would have said that he is was not a bad dog. As these people who took his life would not listen to humans/ owners. R.I.P. Bobo. You will for ever be in my prayers even though I have never meet you.
How sweet your words Karoline, I cried last night so much that I had a dream of a dog in a very horrible avusive situation and I was trying to reach to him and something was stopping me and I was so disteaught that woke up with my face wet with tears, today at work I got a headache and my eyes are puffy and reading more about sweet Bobo, more tears! I am so angry and sad! :'( :'(
Can someone please find these useless officers a REAL job instead of sending them out to pick on defenseless dogs? People such as these officers and officials need control in their professional lives because they have none in their personal lives. I wish someone would euthanize the lot of them. Poor Bobo, ripped from his home and family because he LOOKED like a certain type of dog? BSL is bull&#@T and we all need to band together and fight it tooth and nail!!
Please read my comment posted on lost dogs home
http://www.facebook.com/LostDogsHome/posts/10151293744786021
He does not even look like a pitbull.
These laws are a total joke, and once again the infamous LDH is at the centre of the killing.
Poor BOBO RIP mate and know that your sad unfortunate death is not in vain. You and all the others who are victims of over zealous councils and money hungry organisations looking to make more revenue, will always be remembered, and we will all fight to end this stupid, unjust law.
I wish the law woould focus on people who abuse and use these dogs for dog fighting or violence rather that target innocent submissive dogs and their responsible families. Its a very sad situation brought by people in the governments trying to get votes.
He was such a good boy! Tears, many, many tears! If only his human daddy could’ve had more patience and fire his lawyer, people around the world were helping! :'(
Such a sad story. My heart goes out to his owner. And the hume council and the judges and the police etc. Stop picking on innocent animals! Go chase rapist and earn ya money! instead of picking on innocent animal that cannot defend themselves.
How was this dog brought to council’s attention in the first place.I hope everypne involved on this dogs murder finds it hard to sleep at night and is haunted by what they have done.What is wrong with these people.
We must fight BSL. Write to your local and state politicians. Ask them what their position is on breed specific and restricted breed dog laws. Ask them to state clearly if they are for or against. Tell them that this information is important to you and will affect how you vote in future elections. It doesn’t matter if your area has elections soon or not, we must tell them right now that BSL is not acceptable in our society. If we make enough noise, future politicians might take up the fight. Also find out where your peaceful world rally against BSL is, and be there. West Australia rally is on 13th July 2013. Dear beautiful Bobo, we will fight BSL and we will win.
My purebred Labradors look a tad butch and bully. Does this mean they should be seized and put to sleep too?
Harmless animals like Bobo and their responsible, loving owners are always the ones to draw the short straw. This poor man had his dog taken away for literally no reason, with no warning or investigation, and I KNOW of a person who kicks the crap out of his rottweiler because it’s “a pansy” and it took a month before I could get the RSPCA to come and investigate it.
Disgusting. I really am shocked and appalled.
An absolute disgrace!! Shame on you LDH and shame on you Victoria!
If the state and the LDH are so convinced this is the best approach, why do they not share whatever mystery ‘facts’ they have proving that killing pit bulls is the best approach. There sure is much evidence to suggest its meritless brutality but Im yet to see any evidence that supports this policy!! So angry.
Pitty they were not so diligent with humans who rape abuse and murder etc.. people and animals – do you think they would put down a human because there ancestors where murders and the just where not sure of there character or dna. Of coarse not. Dogs are supposed to be mans best friend and without blinking and eye we kill as apparently death justifies this a bad apple in the bunch. Why couldn’t he just wear a muzzle. I am ashamed to be part of the human race sometimes as humans still just want to kill anything that doesn’t fit. Thought the world was supposed to progress but we seem to go backwards. Maybe we can declare these beautiful dogs on the risk of extinction and then they can not kill them any more, sharks tigers etc are a threat to human and now we stop killing when its nearly too late.
So sad, life is precious no body should take it away without just cause or its your own decion !
We have an American staff – looks just like Bobo, Bella is her name. She is afraid of cats, possums, and my pet rabbits. Basically anything that looks at her. We are careful with her and she is loved and looked after. We wouldn’t let her go near any strangers as they are afraid of her, but she is far more afraid of them. Maybe Councils need to spend more time eliminating puppy farms and animal cruelty.
Poor Bobo
BASTARDS!!!
We have a pretty angry toy poodle in our street which looks more aggressive than poor Bobo!!
Shame on you Hume council….
Hi,
Very sad to hear this. I have heard that DNA tests can be used to prove if your dog is a certain breed, however if in Victoria they completely refuse to look at DNA, is this not illegal? And what about the privacy laws?
What is the point quoting “science” in schools, universities or the parliaments, and then ignoring the facts?
Bobo is now no different than Lennox.
To Bobo’s family…I am so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful boy he was…and what a terrible & unjustified waste of a life. xxx
It is an absolute disgrace that this is happening!!! What is also scary is that so many police attended to seize this poor dog.. my sister and her kids were victims of domestic violence and we couldn’t get the police to the house and the legal system also did nothing….. Maybe our governments should be more focused on the real issues!!!! How many deaths are caused by dogs every year???? How many deaths are caused by people that have been in and out of jail?? How many deaths are caused by drink drivers that are repeat offenders?? This is a joke and the more I read about these poor dogs being put down because of the way they look the more I lose all faith in our government and legal system… As for the lost dogs home they should be ashamed of themselves, people donate money to them so that they can save animals…. they are the ones that should be yelling the loudest, where is the rspca where are all these so called animal shelters??? I run an a shelter that saves and rehomes ex racehorses and pacers that would otherwise go to the doggers… and when I am not looking after them I am lobbying to get laws changed so that we can try and eradicate the wastage (these are all the horses that are killed every year due to over breeding etc) my shelter is not for profit and its a struggle but im still doing it… these so called animal shelters should be fighting to save these dogs not be the executioner…. its an absolute disgrace!!!
I agree, yet it seems that the so-called ”animal” organisation RSPCA is not helping animals as much as they could be. They should be trying to help all the animals and working with other rescue groups. We should make a memorial day to remember Bobo. Bobo was lost 2 weeks ago on the 12.3.13. This was a Tuesday, so a memorial time should be set for this day.
Is anyone interested in this idea ?
Poor Bobo RIP so sad that based on what they ‘think’ a dog could be it can be destroyed. So sad :'(
[…] Saving Pets: “Bobo – a victim of BSL“, “The Project – BSL” (video), “Are you breeding next year’s […]
It’s time some of the council workers around Australia went on strike over the BSL laws. They are so ridiculous and are causing injustice everywhere. The case of Bobo is a classic example. Now the Americans are calling Australians dumbells because of our dog laws.
It is also disappointing to see the lack of interest shown by other dog clubs. This dog was at least part-American Staffordshire Terrier. Where was the Australian Amstaff Club? Considering their dogs are often being mixed up in all this BSL nonsense they could at least have offered to help rehome the dog. In some other cases, dogs have been rescued from councils and moved to other states.
Just because Rosemary walsh was an employee of Hume council since 2004 and only had one day’s training in visual identification of dogs, that doesnt mean she is an expert. Prior to the training, what was her role in Hume City Council? Cleaning toilets at Hume City Council? Picking rubbish in the garden or on the premise? Nobody has ever clarified that. Thats what they keep saying.
I recently read a letter from the Ombudsman about the case of Bobo, which was on the Australian BSL Protesters website. It failed to answer any of the reasons for the incorrect identifications of dogs or the bad treatement they receive because of BSL. Is BSL a political idea or not?
Furthermore, I don’t have too much sympathy for the owner of this dog, after all he gave up on the dog at the last moment.
I have looked, but can’t seem to locate this. Any chance you could forward please Mark? [email protected]
Thanks!
:)shel
This is beyond any reason, this should NOT EVER have happened!!!!!!! It tears my heart out this dog was sweet and wonderful and loved!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My heart goes out to his owners this is so wrong-something must be done to stop this from happening again! SO ANGRY!
Hi Shel,
I read the comments from the Ombudsman on the BSL Protesters website on Facebook a few weeks ago, however I think it has been deleted. She mainly talked about the fact (according to the ombudsman) that the Hume City council had only followed all the “correct procedures” and so on. My understanding is that the Ombudsman’s job is to consider complaints from the public about things which affect the public BECAUSE of a political decision in the past, in which case they might not be doing their job because BSL is apparently political.
If BSL was dumped in Australia by some politicians, then is it not poitical?
There is also the question of animal rights, which doesn’t seem to be considered much at all, if ever.
I would suggest that people in Victoria write to their Premier.I sent a question to the website [email protected] but didn’t get a response.
He also has a facebook page which you might like to try and contact.