Pearcedale resident Karen Black, with her children Emily and Adam, has vowed to fight Casey council claims that her American bulldog Al is dangerous and needs to be caged.By Alison Noonan
A PEARCEDALE dog owner has vowed to fight Casey council’s decision to declare her family pet dangerous.
Karen Black says council’s attempt to legally declare her American bulldog a ‘dangerous dog’ after it attacked another dog and its owner is unfair, claiming the animal had never shown any aggression before or since the incident.
The News last week (4 August) reported council’s move to beef up its dog laws to tackle the number of attacks on pedestrians.
Council has passed a motion to allow it to declare a dog ‘dangerous’ if it caused a serious injury to a person or another animal.
The move allows council to force the owner of a dangerous dog to restrain their animal or secure it in a cage or a speciallymade enclosure at all times.
Ms Black said she refused to confine her beloved pet to a cage, describing council’s request as “cruel and inhumane”.
“My dog never mauled anyone as council said,” Ms Black said.
“The incident occurred after my dog got into a fight with another dog that had wandered onto my property.
“Its owner was bitten on the hand when she attempted to break up the fight.
“There were three dogs involved and she didn’t know which dog bit her.
“I had the other dog that was involved voluntarily euthanised but the dog council wants to lock up is definitely not aggressive.
“I don’t feel that any animal should be kept in a cage, especially a dog.”
Ms Black said her dog was a show dog and had always been friendly with her two children and others in the community.
“He has been brought up as part of the family,” she said.
“In the two and a half years we have had him he has never shown aggression. I have children of my own and even take him down to the local primary school.
“The only part of him that’s dangerous is his tail because it whips you when he wags it.
“He’s not even foodaggressive. You can take the food right out of his mouth.”
Ms Black said she believed that council was attempting to make an example of her and would do everything she could to reverse its decision.
“We live on eight acres and I am not going to keep him in a tiny cage,” she said.
“We have sheep, horses and cows on our property and he has never even been out to try to attack anything.
“I’m the first case that has refused to declare my dog dangerous and they are obviously trying to make a point of me.
“It will be terrible to cage him up. I will be very sad if that is what I am forced to do.”
The City of Casey’s manager of community safety, Brendan Fitzsimmons, said Ms Black would have the opportunity to make a submission to council, which would be considered before a final declaration was made.
“Generally speaking, the owner of a dog may make a voluntary application to council requesting that council declare the dog dangerous, however in this instance the owner has declined to do so,” he said.
“If the owner wants to keep their dog instead of euthanising it, it is necessary to declare the animal dangerous.
“This will keep them where there is no likelihood of an attack happening again.”
