Dublin City Council Ban Dangerous Dogs..

[Laura]

Dublin City Council bans 'dangerous dog breeds'
Olivia Kelly

Eleven breeds of dog, including Rottweilers, Bull Terriers and German Shepherds have been banned from all Dublin City Council properties, including houses, flats and estates, with immediate effect.

The council has said it will give tenants an opportunity to rehouse the animals but if alternative suitable accommodation cannot be found for them they will be destroyed.

The council has taken the step to remove all "dangerous breeds" due to the increasing numbers of complaints from tenants and because of the legal implications associated with an attack taking place on one of its properties. The ban initially applies to council housing and all public areas within council estates.

However, the council plans to amend its bylaws to include public parks in the ban. This would mean that anyone owning a dangerous dog could not walk it in a public park, even if they lived in private housing.

The council has also written to the Minister for the Environment asking him to ban all breeds of fighting dogs nationally. The 11 breeds are not banned for general ownership in Ireland but must be muzzled, kept on a special leash and be under the control of a person over 16 years old.

The breeds are: English Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, German Shepherd (Alsatian), Doberman, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Japanese Akita, Bull Mastiff, Japanese Tosa and Bandog. Cross-breeds of these dogs or crosses of these dogs with any other breed are also banned.

Executive manager of the council's housing department Michael O'Neill said tenants would be asked to remove any banned dogs but if they failed to comply the council would take them away. "Our information on these dogs is that that they can be very aggressive and while they might be family pets, that has to come secondary and would be no defence to us if a child or other vulnerable person was attacked on our property."

Labour councillor Kevin Humphreys said he understood council tenants may feel discriminated against, but he hoped that this was just the first step to banning these breeds nationally.

© 2007 The Irish Times

[John Thomson]

I saw this the other day..........Eleanor emailed me a copy with a suggested email complaint.......so on behalf of Cumbernauld Dog Training I complained to the Dublin council and Irish Dept of the Environment
_________________
John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[Laura]

http://www.anvilireland.ie/fulcrum.html?ep=5

Peaceful Demonstration to be held outside Dublin City Council, Wood Quay, Dublin 8

FRIDAY 13th AT 2pm

We ask that innocent pet dogs and owners are not targeted and punished because of other irresponsible dog owners. We ask that dogs are not needlessly destroyed because of this over night decision and discrimination against those living in council accommodations. We ask that this ban be lifted until such time as proper consultation can be arranged and a working solution reached.

Please write to Minister John Gormley www.johngormley.com and ask that he refuses to issue a nationwide ban in response to this Dublin City Council decision but rather he sets up a working group and a proper consultation process to deal with the issue of restricted breeds and the control of dogs act.

Dublin City Council list the possibility of dangerous attacks or dog bites on their property as the reason for this ban. It is apparent that dog fighting and criminal activity go hand in hand. It is apparent that many of the areas affected by such activities are council run and owned. Rather than removing all dogs of a certain breed the council and the Gardai should seek towards enforcing the already existing control of dogs laws.

Other reasons this ban should be retracted immediately are as follows:

The ban is an outright infringement on the civil rights of the tenants in DCC accommodation. The Council should be working WITH the public not AGAINST the public.
Innocent dogs are being destroyed right now in vets and pounds all over the country because of this ban. This adds to the already huge figure of dogs we destroy each year. Our system cannot cope with this.
This ban will only put more pressure on dog wardens, rescue centres and dog pounds. The resources are not there to deal with the existing problem.
This ban will increase the number of dogs strayed.
High cost - The council wishes to seize the dogs from their homes and loving owners, place them into an already overcrowded dog pound and ask the public to pay for this.
Similar bans have FAILED in other European countries. For example Italy have a ban on over 90 breeds including the Corgi and the Collie. Where will this stop?

No research or consultation process was completed. Dublin City Council is calling for a nationwide ban without a consultation process. They forget that they work for the people. Knee jerk reaction decisions like this do not benefit the public and lead to further problems. Dublin city council have not yet produced any supporting information to support this ban. No bite stats, no breed information, no background studies done, no working group set-up, no consultation process with professionals such as behaviourists and vets
Dublin city council are UNAVAILABLE for explanation. This is not democratic and goes against our civil rights as Irish citizens.

What should be done?
We agree that Legislation is needed. The control of dogs act should be revised and the areas of Breeding and Restricted breeds reworked. A working group of trainers, behaviourists, vets and organisations dealing with dogs should be set-up and work started to amend the current control of dogs legislation.

We believe the answer is not a ban but rather education and the promotion of responsible dog ownership supported by legislation . Such legislation is long overdue. The area of regulation of breeding establishments has been dealt with and the recommendations of the working group is sitting on Minister Gormleys desk to be introduced. We now need a similar process to deal with restricted breeds and dangerous dogs.

We urge everyone to contact Dublin City Council and ask that this ban be retracted immediately until such time as a working solution can be reached. We also ask that you contact your local representative and Minister for the Environment John Gormley.

Please join us on Friday the 13th @ 2pm. Please do not bring any dogs. We expect a large turnout so please advise by reply email if you can attend. If you are a welfare group or dog related group please come in uniform or bring something to identify yourself. Bring posters and information. Pass this on to as many as possible. We must act now.

Please let us know by reply email if you can make it with your organisation details. We will then add you to the support list.

Dog Training Ireland Ltd
www.DogTrainingIreland.ie

[John Thomson]

This is what I emailed.please copy and paste it into your email program..edit to suit and send it......let them know what we think!

email addresses I used are cllr_kevin.humphreys@dublincity.ie , minister@environ.ie and johngormley@eircom.net



Dear Mr Humphreys

I have just read the article in Saturdays Irish Times on Dublin City councils decision to ban certain breeds of dogs from council properties. This decision causes me great concern for a number of reasons. How did the Council reach the decision about dangerous breeds? What criteria were applied and who advised them on this decision? Did the Council consult with any of the animal welfare organisations that are now going to have deal with a huge increase in abandoned and unwanted dogs as a result of this decision? Were they consulted as to the wisdom or otherwise of such a decision. How many other options were explored before this decision was reached?


Be VERY assured that I have sent out your decision to all my friends – urging them to contact you PERSONALLY to voice their total and displeasure at your unilateral and illegal decision banning family pet dogs.


The Council, before reaching their decision, should have sought the advice of people who deal with animal welfare on a daily basis. Such organisations are by and large lobbying for responsible legislation that states that it should be dealt with by “deed not breed”. Any dog can have the capacity to be aggressive depending on how it has been treated by human beings. Such legislation would also allow for degrees of offences and remedies required by the owners as opposed to wholesale destruction of dogs by virtue of the fact that they have a specific breed name.


Such draconian actions and legislation that supports such actions has proven in other areas to be a resounding failure. This decision will result in a number of things:


Distraught families and children who have to hand over beloved family pets either for re-homing or destruction with no responsible assessment of the individual dog and its owners.


Irresponsible owners, particularly those who use their dogs for fighting and who breed dogs for the same purpose will most certainly not hand their dogs over and will instead put them into hiding and carry on with their cruel practices even further from the public eye.


Amnesties will be offered by councils to those owners to hand their dogs over and this will fail also.

Many dogs will now be abandoned or thrown on to the streets for animal welfare organisations to pick up and take responsibility for. These organisations are generally under resourced anyway and this will result in the needless cull of many dogs.


The whole area of fighting dogs is a very lucrative one and it will now be driven further underground and people will make even more money out of this cruelty to animals.


In short the Council has been very irresponsible and rash in taking this decision with very little thought for the consequences. The focus should be on the behaviour of the owners and not the dogs and this issue can be addressed with responsible ownership not destruction.

Regards

John Thomson

Cumbernauld Dog Training Club Trainer
_________________
John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[carol]

I must say that this forum is great and lots of info.
I would not have known about the Dublin dog ban if I had not come on your forum.
How shocking, it is hard to believe that in this day and age they are contemplating
such a thing.
John I have copied and pasted your letter and email it off to the 3 addresses. Every little helps!

I have also emailed Tara and Lisa from dog training Ireland to let them know know that they are being supported in the work they do. Tara and Lisa are good friends of mine, they are lovely people and very passionate about trying to change the attitude people have to dogs in the republic of Ireland and northern Ireland, some of the stories I have heard are truely shocking. The Lurcher I have came from a rescue center in Ireland, in a very sorry state, thrown out with the rubbish at 6 weeks old, The rescue centers have little money, but do their best.
There will always be cruelty cases and dogs in need of help where ever you go, but over there it is a different world, it so sad.
Anyway Tara and Lisa will be glad of your support, so please, please if you have not done so copy and email the letters. Every little, adds up to a lot.
Carol

[John Thomson]

You are right Carol .......every little helps.............it is only when people are prepare to stand together and face up to politicians that they listen.

This has just made me think........I'll email Cathy Craigie about this, she visited us at the club and was very supportive.

We now have a great group of members on the forum all able to contribute from their own field of knowledge........it's turning into a great place to learn and share information. There are time so many people are posting I struggle to keep up reading them all..........it's great
_________________
John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[kendal]

i know I'm the same.

John can i ask when sending the email the the second address who do i address it to is it just 'dear minister' or a 'name. or 'Sr/madam'

[kirsty]

John

Just about to email Jayne at German Shepherd Rescue about this - dear goodness, has the world gone mad!

[carol]

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION

http://www.petitiononline.com/anvil999/petition.html



Dublin City Council is to introduce a ban on eleven breeds of dog from properties including houses, flats and estates, with immediate effect.

The breeds are: English Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, German Shepherd (Alsatian), Doberman, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Japanese Akita, Bull Mastiff, Japanese Tosa and Bandog. Cross-breeds of these dogs or crosses of these dogs with any other breed are also banned.

Owners will be given the opportunity to rehouse the dogs but if alternative accommodation cannot be found for they will be destroyed.

[John Thomson]

Petition duly signed.......as a GSD owner I am horrified..............if the politicians need a K9 that is prepared to lay down to protract them while it's life discharging it's duty.........will they object that it is a GSD?


_________________
John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[shirley c]

signed, what is it with these blanket bans

[kirsty]

Petition signed. Is there anyway I could have this petition emailed to me at kirstineconnor@hotmail.com as I would like to pass it on to the German Shepherd Rescue, they receive thousand of hits every week and Im sure anyone going in to the site is interested in dogs and would sign the petition to.

[Fiona]

Hi

The dogs trust and doggysnaps.com have emailed all there members and users to highlight this ban with details of how to sign the petition so hopefully there will be enough support to put a stop to this!

[marcella]

That's got to help too Fiona.

[Deborah Hamilton]

Petition signed. I think it is absolutely ridiculous that they are doing that. Where will it stop if they are allowed to do that?! Ban cars to stop pollution and lower the RTA rate?