A beloved family pet, which was declared dangerous in Sydney, has been cleared from ‘dangerous’ label by Ballina council

When they rehomed her through the RSPCA, Daisy’s Ballina family didn’t even know that she’d been declared a dangerous dog by a council in Sydney.

Ballina council has made a decision on the dangerous dog status of a beloved family pet.

Update 1.30pm: Ballina Shire Council has revoked the ‘dangerous dog’ declaration for a dog called Daisy.

Speaking to councillors at chambers on Thursday morning, owner Ray pleaded to keep the beloved family pet.

“She has never showed any aggressive behaviour at any time,” he said.

“She’s in fact the gentlest and quietest dog I’ve ever met.

“She sleeps with my 10-year-old son and it is regularly fed by my 17-month-old granddaughter.

“If I thought she was at all dangerous, there is no way I would let something like that happen,” he said.

A council spokeswoman clarified that if the dog had maintained its declaration as dangerous, it would not have been euthanised.

“There would have been some conditions for when the dog was outside of its enclosure,” she said.

Council carried the motion to revoke the declaration, with only one councillor voting against it.

Original story: A beloved family pet is waiting for a decision from Ballina Shire Council on whether she can stay living with her Ballina owners.

Daisy is a bull terrier (Staffordshire) that was declared dangerous dog by Campbelltown City Council in Sydney on August 2016, following an incident involving another dog and the death of a cat.

Ballina Shire Council has received a request from Daisy’s owners to revoke the dangerous dog declaration that was made under the Companion Animals Act in 2016.

In January 2020, Daisy was seized by the RSPCA in Sydney following cruelty and neglect concerns and complaints about roaming.

While the other dog was not classified as a candidate for rehoming, Daisy got a second chance.

According to council documents, Daisy was put for adoption, but “it appears that the RSPCA did not include the dangerous dog declaration on Daisy’s file” when she was offered to a family.

In April 2020, Daisy then moved in with her forever family — a couple and an eight year-old child.

Daisy passed the veterinary and temperament checks and was subsequently adopted by the current owner, who only became aware of the dangerous dog declaration when he tried to change Daisy’s registration into his name.

“Daisy can be a good family pet if managed safely both in the home and when out in public safely as required by law,” a dog expert wrote one of the pet’s temperament assessment reports.

The family then moved to Ballina at the end of 2020 or early 2021, according to the RSPCA’s documents.

Daisy came to Ballina Shire Council’s attention when she was found roaming and was impounded by rangers in April, according to a declaration by RSPCA General Counsel, Kathryn Jurd, to Ballina council.

“In terms of lifting the declaration, the RSPCA also point out in their letter that Daisy’s living conditions are now vastly different to those at the time of the dangerous dog declaration and she appears to now be kept by responsible owners,” council documents stated.

“She has been successfully rehomed (...) and in over 12 months never strayed on been inappropriate towards any animals she has come in contact with, including innumerable walks around their young child,” the RSPA representative said in the statement.

Council staff also pointed out the family pet had two satisfactory temperament assessments, support from the NSW RSPCA and from a council ranger to revoke the declaration.

If council refuses to revoke the dangerous dog declaration, the owner could appeal to the Local Court within 28 days of the notice by the council.

Ballina Shire Council will meet on Thursday, June 24, from 9am at council chambers.