You know my name, not my story: Against the Dangerous Dog Legislation Act that is set to be enforced in February 2017

OVERVIEW:
• When will the Dangerous Dog Legislation Act be enforced?
o February 2017

• What are the rules that will be implied?
o Wear distinctive collars identifying them as high-risk.
o Keep them in fenced areas with at least one entrance having dog-free access.
o Must be neutered.
o Put a sign on your fence saying you have a “menacing dog”.

• What breeds will be affected?
o The American pit bull terrier, the Brazilian Fila, the Dogo Argentino, the Japanese Tosa, and the Perro de Presa Canario are the breeds being targeted by the government however if the dog resembles any of these breeds especially Bull Breed types they will be classed under the Dangerous Dog Legislation Act, as well as any other dogs the Government deems “menacing”.

• Will this reduce the number of dog attacks?
o Not significantly. The well-respected anti dog abuse group ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has stated in a report they did on the effectivity of dog legislation acts, ”although multiple communities have been studied where breed-specific legislation has been enacted, no convincing data indicates this strategy has succeeded anywhere to date.” It will only cause black-market and illegal selling of Bull Breeds.

• What does the Dangerous Dog Legislation Act do?
o The Governments plan is to push all bull breed looking dogs to extinction in New Zealand, by not allowing them to breed or be adopted.
o Who will be affected?
o Animal Welfare groups and Dog shelters/ rescues all over the country could be forced to euthanise hundreds if not a thousand dogs due to the new laws.
o The already responsible dog owners

MORE DETAIL!
In February 2017 the New Zealand Government is putting in place a Dangerous Dog Legislation Act. This means that all dogs classified as dangerous or menacing would have to be neutered, and it would be forbidden to adopt them, which in turn would lead to the extinction in New Zealand of the so called menacing dogs including all dogs classed as Bull Breeds. Even if your dog is not a Bull Breed but the government decides it looks enough like one they will class it as a ‘Dangerous Dog’. The rules/ regulations which Bull Breed owners will need to abide by are as follows:
- Wear distinctive collars identifying them as high-risk.
- Keep them in fenced areas with at least one entrance having dog-free access.
- Must be neutered.
- Put a sign on your fence saying you have a “menacing dog”.

Associate Local Government Minister Louise Upston had this to say on the matter, "In terms of the dog population, those dogs that are currently classified, we're talking about 1.6 percent of the dogs. So it's a very small number, and we have deliberately focused on where the risk is, and where the harm is." It is evident that she is not aware of the many responsible Bull Breed dog owners who have never had an issue with their dogs being aggressive towards people. However we cannot pretend that incidents don’t happen we must keep in mind that other “non-menacing” dogs do attack, the New Zealand Media just choose not to publicise them as it doesn’t get as much attention as when a “vicious Pitbull mauls someone”. I do agree that dogs who are not being used for breeding by a registered dog breeder should be neutered, and ALL dog owners should need to have a responsible dog ownership license. However attempting to push them to extinction in New Zealand is definitely NOT the way to go about it, because all this will cause is illegal and black-market selling of Bull Breed Dogs.

This won’t stop Dog fighting, and there will definitely not be a significant reduction in dog attacks. England, the Netherlands and Australia, have attempted dog legislations however they have all withdrawn them as there has been no decrease in the number of dog attacks, or numbers. The well-respected anti dog abuse group ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has stated in a report they did on the effectivity of dog legislation acts, ”although multiple communities have been studied where breed-specific legislation has been enacted, no convincing data indicates this strategy has succeeded anywhere to date.” If this cruel method is proven to not work then why does the New Zealand government think it will work for us, if it is proven to not work elsewhere in the world? After all of this what we must remember is that when someone is shot we don’t blame the gun, but the man holding the gun. When someone dies in a car accident we first think of drunk driving not engine troubles, so why in the case of a dog attack do we blame the dog and get it put down instead of holding the owner accountable.