Veterinary Behaviourists View of DDL & BSL Dr Jacqui Ley BVSc - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Veterinary Behaviourists View of DDL & BSL Dr Jacqui Ley BVSc - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Apr 16, 2023 479 likes •667 views

Veterinary Behaviourists View of DDL & BSL Dr Jacqui Ley BVSc (Hons) FANZCVs(Veterinary Behaviour)PhD Dip ECAWBM www.drjacquiley.com.au Overview What does a Veterinary Behaviourist do within Dangerous Dog and Breed Specific

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Dr Jacqui Ley

BVSc (Hons) FANZCVs(Veterinary Behaviour)PhD Dip ECAWBM

www.drjacquiley.com.au

Veterinary Behaviourist’s View of DDL & BSL

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What does a Veterinary Behaviourist do within Dangerous Dog and Breed Specific Legislation Problems with Dangerous Dog legislation Problems with Breed Specific legislation AVA Position My Perfect World…

Overview

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Engaged by owners to undertake temperament assessment of dogs Councils are seeking to destroy/declare dangerous under the Domestic Animals Act

  • Expert witness
  • Explain the dog's behaviour and give a

reasoned opinion of the chances of the dog doing it again

  • Recommend control measures

The Vet Behaviourist and the DD

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Since November 2013, I have been involved with 9 dog attack cases.

  • 7 went on to council/court/VCAT
  • 5/7 were dog bites to other animals;
  • 1/7 bite to elderly man; 1/7 knocked down a child

causing injury

  • 1 case BSL used to seek euthanasia;
  • Council is now applying for destruction through

Dangerous Dog Sections of DAA

  • 7/7 were first offenses for aggression;
  • the dogs were out due to human error / malfunction
  • f gates, fences, doors, locks or control systems.

My Experience

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  • 7/7 cases the council attempted to apply destruction
  • rders despite dangerous dog declarations not

requiring this

  • 6/7 Dogs were/are still impounded for lengthy periods
  • 6/7 information from the councils changed
  • 7/7 Owners were not given information about

enclosures etc….

  • Not referred to the Code of Practice for the Private

Keeping of Dogs

  • 7/7 Families are frustrated, angry and frightened for

their dogs

My Experience

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  • Council questions show a lack of

understanding of dog behaviour

  • “Taste for blood”
  • “Pack”
  • Siberian husky - looks wolf like so it must be

dangerous

My Experience

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Unnecessary

  • Properly implemented dog control laws existed to

manage dogs

  • Leash and control laws
  • Requirement to have secure area at home/place of

residence

  • Enclosures- confining dogs away from their
  • wners is not in the best interests and welfare of

dogs

  • Too many ways to kill dogs when it is not

necessary

Dangerous Dog Legislation

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  • So flawed it is laughable
  • Appearance does not dictate behaviour
  • Same large Powerful breeds are 'legal‘
  • Others are not, based solely on appearance
  • Research:
  • Appearance doesn't identify dogs accurately (Voith, V; Ingram, E:,

Mitsouras, K; Irizarry,K.2009 Comparison of Adoption Agency Breed Identification and DNA Breed Identification of Dogs Journal Of Applied Animal Welfare Science 12:3, 253-262 )

  • Pit bulls and other restricted breeds are no more aggressive

than other dogs (Schalke, E; Ott, S.A; von Gaertner, A.M; Hackbarth, H; Mittmann, A (2008) Is

breed-specific legislation justified? Study of the results of the temperament test of Lower Saxony J Veter Behav: Clin App Res Vol.3(3), May 2008, pp. 97-103.)

  • BSL is being dismantled Overseas.
  • Europe Germany, Netherlands, Spain
  • United States, Canada
  • United Kingdom
  • Australia????

BSL

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AustralianVeterinary Association does not support Breed Specific Legislation

Deed not Breed

Australian Veterinary Association does support sensible Dangerous Dog Legislations

AVA Position

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AVA Document

  • Dangerous dogs – a sensible solution Policy and model legislative

framework August 2012

  • On-Line:

https://www.ava.com.au/sites/default/files/AVA_website/pdfs/Dangerous %20dogs%20-%20a%20sensible%20solution%20FINAL.pdf (Google: AVA Dangerous Dogs Legislation)

AVA Position

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Plan for Managing Dogs and minimising bites in our communities

  • Identification and registration of all dogs.
  • A national reporting system with mandatory reporting of all dog bite

incidents to the national database.

  • Temperament testing
  • to understand the risks and needs of individual animals,
  • to help owners make more appropriate choices for their new pets
  • to guide breeders to improve the temperament of puppies.
  • Comprehensive education programs for pet owners, dog breeders, all

parents and all children.

  • Enforcement of all dog management regulations.
  • Resourcing is often a major barrier to effective enforcement, and this problem

needs to be addressed effectively to achieve tangible reductions in dog bite incidents.

AVA Position

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  • Educate
  • Dog Owners about normal dog behaviour
  • Council staff that manage dog issues
  • Normal dog behaviour
  • Human animal bond

In My Perfect World….

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  • Police the Dog Laws
  • identify unregistered dogs
  • dogs off lead
  • fencing

In My Perfect World….

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  • Treat each case on an individual basis
  • Dog bites will happen
  • Recognise that for some bite/injuries they

are true accidents

  • Solutions can be found that satisfy the

victim and that will reduce the chances of reoccurrence while allowing dogs to stay with their families

  • Monitor and take action for non-

compliance before another incident

In My Perfect World….

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  • Dismantle BSL
  • WOFTAM
  • Educate Dog Owners-
  • Normal dog behaviour
  • Responsible dog ownership
  • Educate Public
  • Normal dog behaviour
  • Educate Rangers
  • As before
  • Treat each case individually

In My Perfect World….

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Thank You