Abandoned Pit Bulls at large in Australian suburb
Dangerous dogs have been running wild in a suburb of Victoria, Australia, as owners abandon them in the face of a crackdown by authorities.
So far, four Pit Bulls wandering around Hume have been captured by government dog handlers in the past several days.
Authorities think that the animals have offloaded by owners in an effort to avoid prosecution for importing or breeding dangerous animals. In fact, a hotline set up received information on 125 pit bulls and pit bull crosses within the first seven days it was active.
The tough new measures were put into effect following a fatal attack on a four-year-old child in August, and owners of the breeds targeted have until September 29 to register their pets. Any unregistered dogs subsequently found will face being euthanized.
So far, Hume Council has destroyed four Pit Bulls, and is its their options on what to with 15 dangerous dogs that they have in their possession. Peter Walsh, the Minister for Agriculture, thinks that the tough new laws are already proving to be effective. He said
“People are starting to think twice about the risk of owning a pit bull.”
As the deadline looms, many think that the numbers of abandoned pets will rise dramatically. Sue Conroy, spokesperson for the Lost Dogs Home, said that there had been a huge increase in the numbers of dangerous dogs being surrendered to them. She added:
“People need to get some sound information on the dog.”
“Get expert advice on whether it needs boundaries or could benefit from a little training.”
