Woman says Perth rangers are breed stereotyping her dog
A Perth woman has accused rangers and a state government department of profiling her mixed-breed dog Jasper after a City of South Perth ranger told her greyhounds were not allowed off leash, even in designated exercise areas.
Under the WA Dog Act, greyhounds are required to be on a leash in public. Pet greyhounds are no longer legally required to wear muzzles in public but racing greyhounds are still subject to that specific provision.
Bronwyn David with her adopted dog Jasper.
Bronwyn David, known for her role as co-convenor of Voices of South Perth, adopted Jasper who was part of a litter of 10 found dumped in York. A DNA test concluded he was part deerhound, greyhound, border collie and Labrador retriever.
He is registered as a greyhound cross with the council.
David said the trouble started last month when Jasper was allowed to run off leash, under effective voice control, in an off-leash dog exercise area.
“On that day, Jasper and my family member were approached by a ranger who said he had received a complaint about a greyhound running off-leash in the area,” she said.
“The ranger said greyhounds must always be on a leash – which our family is aware of, having previously adopted an ex-racing greyhound.”
David said despite the ranger being told the dog was a cross-breed, and provisions of the act relating to greyhounds should not apply, the ranger insisted Jasper be leashed.
The following day David supplied the council with DNA evidence of Jasper’s mixed-breed status which prompted the council to say it would seek legal advice from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
“Jasper has never raced as a greyhound, nor been under the regulation of Racing and Wagering WA, nor is he eligible to be administered by that organisation, as he is not a greyhound,” she said.
All racing greyhounds are registered and tracked throughout all stages of their lives, from birth to retirement.
City of South Perth acting chief executive Garry Adams said advice was received from the legislation division at the department and the city had acted in accordance with advice to ensure public safety.
He declined to comment any further on the issue.
However, a DLGSC spokesman clarified the response it gave to the city was not legal advice.
“The response provided to the City of South Perth by DLGSC, was provided alongside a disclaimer outlining that it was general in nature, provided in good faith, and was not intended to be construed as legal advice,” he said.
“In 2021, the WA Parliament passed the Dog Amendment (Stop Puppy Farming) Act 2021 which included changes no longer requiring pet greyhounds or retired racing greyhounds to wear a muzzle but must be kept on a lead in a public place.”
Earlier this month the city told David that the department’s advice was that, “from a practical standpoint, if a dog closely resembles a greyhound and exhibits its characteristic speed, there is a strong public interest argument for enforcing the greyhound-related provisions of the act.”
David took issue with the interpretation of the act which was introduced in 1976 when very few greyhounds were kept as pets and the breed was considered to be a racing hound.
“There is no definition of greyhound in the act, and nor has the term ever been adjudicated in WA,” she said.
“Why would there be specific provisions for greyhounds and not other sight hound breeds? The only possible distinction between a greyhound and a whippet, or a wolfhound or deerhound, is that greyhounds are trained for racing.
“If that’s the only distinction that has any effect on community safety, which presumably is the objective of dog regulation, it makes sense that any reference to greyhound would be a reference to greyhounds that are used or have been used in the racing industry – and not mixed breeds that have always been pets, possibly for several generations. ”
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.