A Parliamentary Inquiry into effectiveness of current restricted breed dog legislative arrangements has been established.
The Inquiry will deliver on the Andrews Labor Government’s election commitment to review Victoria’s restricted breed legislation.
The Economy and Infrastructure Committee will inquire into the current laws for restricted breed dogs, including the benefits and challenges of the existing regulatory and legislative framework, and report back to the Parliament no later than 31 March, 2016.
Evidence will be sought from dog attack victims, dog owners, breed experts, local councils, schools and kindergartens and organisations such as the RSPCA and the Australian Veterinary Association, to determine the best way of stopping attacks.
Legislation passed through the Parliament earlier this year has imposed a moratorium on the destruction of restricted breed dogs, while the Inquiry is underway.
This means councils will be required to hold restricted breed dogs, rather than euthanising them, until the Parliamentary Inquiry and the consideration of its recommendations is completed.
The moratorium will not affect the current requirements of councils to detain dogs in accordance with existing Breed Specific Legislation requirements.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture, Jaala Pulford
“We must keep the community safe and to do that our laws need to be effective – that’s why we have asked the Parliament to review these laws so that we can get them right.”
“There are dangerous dogs still in the community and other dogs being put down that are known to be safe.”
“Local councils and veterinarians are concerned and even the Supreme Court described these laws as incoherent.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020