On Wed 5 May 2010, the Victorian Government’s proposed “Dangerous Dogs” Bill was revealed to the public. Victorians now have just two weeks to examine the detail before it gets debated in Parliament. The Bill is listed for debate in the Legislative Assembly on Tue 25th May.

A major focus of the Bill is “strengthening council powers to control and destroy dogs“. The Bill is overly broad in its criteria for which dogs may be killed and lacks sufficient safeguards to protect the innocent. For example, a council officer would be permitted to kill a lost dog after 48 hours if the dog was unregistered and the officer reasonably believed that the dog was likely to rush or chase a person if the dog were at large [ref. 23(1)(c)].

The Bill also increases penalties including a fine of up to $1168 for reclaiming your lost dog from the pound (or up to triple if its registration has lapsed). How does a struggling parent explain to their kids that they can’t afford to get the family dog back?

Updates:

• Stronger powers to destroy dogs [11 May 2010]

About the Author: Mike Bailey is the founder of Goodfordogs.org and creator of the Australian Animal Shelter Map which provides much needed exposure for dogs and cats waiting in shelters for a new home.