Dangerous dog owners could face jail time under proposed new laws

A number of dog breeds considered dangerous are set to be totally banned in Queensland under proposed law changes. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Dangerous dog owners whose animals attack could face jail time under proposed law changes in the wake of a string of horror deaths.

Agriculture Minister Mark Furner has called on Queenslanders to have their say on a discussion paper outlining new penalties and laws, designed to crack down on irresponsible dog owners.

Among the other proposed measures were on-the-spot fines for off-leash dogs, a standardised statewide requirement for all dogs to be effectively controlled in public places and the banning of restricted dog breeds.

Speaking to media on Sunday, Mr Furner said the tough new laws would make dog owners more responsible for bad behaviour.

“There are people out there, in my opinion, and certainly the opinion of the taskforce, that need to be corrected in terms of their responsibilities of how they manage their particular dogs in public or otherwise,” he said

The taskforce would also consider public submissions regarding banning repeat offenders from owning dogs altogether.

“If that’s a measure that people want to introduce, I’m pretty certain the taskforce will be willing to consider those outcomes,” Mr Funers said.

But the new laws would not include a dangerous dog database to track law-breaking owners should they move between different local government areas.

“This is a minimum approach at this stage,” Mr Furner said.

“Beyond this, we will be looking at a greater opportunity to amend the legislation or allow those sorts of measures.”

The Minister confirmed a grandfather period would apply to owners who owned any of the five restricted dog breeds that are expected to be banned once the new laws come into effect.

Queensland is the only state in the country which doesn’t include imprisonment as a maximum penalty for the most serious of dog attacks.

In New South Wales, owners can be slapped with up to five years jail as a result of a dog attack.

Earlier this year five Queenslanders were injured in separate dog attacks in barely a week, with Energex meter reader Kane Minion mauled to death by a two dogs – a bandog bull mastiff and a Rhodesian ridgeback cross – in a horrific attack in Logan late last year.

And in April six-year-old Laquarna Chapman Palmer suffered a brutal attack was mauled by two unregistered bull arab dogs belonging to her family’s next door neighbours.

There are calls totally ban certain breeds of dog in Queensland.

The discussion paper also outlines a proposal on a total ban on currently restricted dog breeds Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, American pit bull terrier or pit bull terrier, and Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario.

The high-profile incidents led to criticism over the state government’s perceived lack of action on dangerous dog laws, with a special task-force – made up of mayors and councillors from across Queensland, the Local Government Association of Queensland, RSPCA and senior Department of Agriculture and Fisheries officers – first announced to review the laws in 2021.

“I created the task-force to review our animal management laws because the Palaszczuk Government takes community health and safety seriously,” Mr Furner said, adding the task-force and the working groups had met fourteen times since the first meeting last August.

The proposals to strengthen the current requirements are based on feedback provided by the task-force and its technical working group,” he said.

“It’s time for Queenslanders to have their say on these proposed reforms, and I’m encouraging everyone to provide feedback on the discussion paper.”

Queenslanders have until August 24 to have their say on the reforms.

Chief Executive Officer of the Local Government Association of Queensland Allison Smith said under the new laws councils would have the ability to fast track the review and appeal process, preventing them from being “held to ransom” by dangerous dog owners.

“Ratepayers would be astounded to hear that councils across Queensland have been paying hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to contest these lengthy legal cases when the owners of those dogs are seeking to overturn the decision,” she said.

“Councillors, communities are being held to ransom by these owners of dangerous dogs and savage attacks. Now’s the time to change that.”