Thursday, 22 June 2023

Restricted breed dogs

Matthew GUY (Bulleen) (17:21): (245) I tonight raise an issue for the Minister for Agriculture concerning the issue of dangerous dogs. Recently a woman in her 60s was attacked in daytime in Bulleen. She was dragged 15 metres along the road by a bull Arab cross that weighed more than 50 kilograms. The dog had escaped from its home. Her ear was ripped off and she sustained other quite serious injuries. While the owner in this instance was exceptionally remorseful and understood the dog was going to be put down, as a dog owner myself I have some questions to raise.

What necessity is there for people to own a breed that when escaping from its yard has one inclination – that is, to attack, to hurt or to kill? What reason can a person give to own a breed of animal that has no other redeeming feature but to intimidate other people, to maul smaller dog breeds or cats and when faced with being set free has but one instinct, and that is to cause physical harm? I for the life of me cannot fathom why anyone thinks owning a breed of animal that is larger than a human – or more dangerous, certainly – with crocodile-like jaws is somehow acceptable and is not going to possibly injure or frighten and maybe one day injure or kill someone. There are breeds of dogs that in my opinion should frankly not be owned or be allowed to be owned, and there are some breeds that should be bred out. This is not an issue of politics. It is an issue of survival and of personal injury, both for humans and for other animals. Sadly, though, some people will never learn. They will claim it is the owner, it is not the breed, that causes dogs to behave like that, which is complete rubbish. If my 15-kilogram cavoodle went nuts, he would be a lot easier to move on or to control than a 60-kilogram mastiff whose jaws are four times the size of most dogs and whose jaws are as large as most dogs’ heads and who has an inbuilt desire to kill.

So tonight I ask the minister to act to vastly increase penalties for people whose dogs get out and cause physical injury, whether it is to double or triple them. While the minister is at it, can the minister please set a task of breeding out the biggest and most dangerous dogs in our society and criminalising their ownership. I ask the minister to act on this, please. It is not about politics. It is the right thing to do for the sake of all sensible Victorians, and it might just save someone’s life.