Wyndham council officers are finding it difficult to investigate claims about restricted- breed dogs without police support, telling a parliamentary inquiry most owners are generally “aggressive”.
The council made the claims in a submission to a State Parliament inquiry into restricted-breed dogs legislation, noting that the current laws were difficult to implement.
The council said it had significant evidence that most owners of restricted-breed dogs were aggressive or known to police or council officials because of their past behaviour.
It said council officers were unable to investigate claims against such dogs without strong police involvement, which could be difficult to obtain.
The inquiry, by Parliament’s economic and infrastructure committee, is considering whether current restricted-breed laws, introduced in 2011, encourage responsible dog ownership and protect both the community and the environment.
Wyndham council said it was concerned that current legislation did not protect the safety of the community as it targeted particular breeds rather than all dangerous dogs.
“Council holds the belief that the behaviour of the dog stems primarily from the responsibilities of the owner in raising the dog and ensuring its behaviour is consistent with appropriate expectations,” the submission stated.
“While it is acknowledged that particular breeds of dogs may be more aggressive in nature than others, a dog of any breed can be aggressive if the owner fails to appropriately and responsibly house, maintain and socialise the dog.”
Council data reveals that 76 dog attacks on humans were reported in Wyndham between January 1 and July 8 this year.
There were 64 dog attacks on other animals in the same period.
In the past five years, 433 attacks on humans have been reported to the council.
In one incident, an elderly man was attacked while walking down the street.
The offending dog was seized and destroyed by the council and its owner was banned from owning a dog for eight years.
The council’s submission recommended the legislation be changed to focus on the behaviour of all dogs as opposed to just certain breeds.
It also suggested allowing officers to introduce measures to manage behavioural issues on a case-by-case basis without needing to apply to the magistrates court.
The inquiry is ongoing.
