Thread: Bad news!

ALMOST six people are attacked by dogs every day in Victoria.

Thousands of people a year are treated in hospital after being savaged.

More than 2000 people were treated at hospital for dog bites in 2008, ranging from hospital stays of two days to more than a month.

The number of dangerous dogs has topped 1200, prompting fears the number of attacks could increase.

The areas with most recorded attacks needing hospital treatment were Greater Geelong, Casey and Brimbank, with most injuries being open bite wounds.

Almost one-third of all attacks were on children aged under 14, according to the Monash University Accident Research Centre.

Frankston had the most dog attacks reported to council, recording 207 incidents last year.

Casey, Hume and Whitehorse, meanwhile, had 167, 151 and 135 attacks.

RSPCA behaviour and training co-ordinator Amanda Murcutt said owners needed to be aware of signs their dog might be about to attack.

"Rather than waiting until the dog does bite someone or does cause injury to another dog, owners should nip it in the bud and try to help them," she said.

"I don't believe a dog can just turn overnight. There are signs that a dog might not be comfortable.

"It could be children that are too rough with the dog, or a dog that might be a bit shy. It could be that we expect too much from our dogs and expect them to deal with everything a child dishes out."

The Herald Sun obtained extracts from the Victorian Declared Dog Register using Freedom of Information laws.

The data shows more than 1200 declared dogs are scattered across Victoria, including at least 190 American pit bulls, at least 130 pit bull terriers, more than 120 german shepherds and almost 150 rottweilers.

Brimbank has the most declared dogs on the register, with its total of 120 including almost 50 restricted pit bulls and 66 dangerous guard dogs.

Frankston possessed the second-highest declared-dog tally at 86, which included 24 American pit bulls and 11 rottweilers.

Last year two-year-old Aleaha Jobe was attacked by a relative's pit bull, which pounced on her as she patted it.

Aleaha's mum, Taneisha Jobe, said Aleaha's father, Mark, had noticed the dog behaving strangely just before the attack.

"From coming through the laundry into the hall, the dog just pounced. Mark tried to rip Aleaha and the dog apart but (the dog) just had a hold on her face," she said.

"I thought that was maybe the last time I would ever have seen her."

The Herald Sun is full of it.

Point 1 - dogs on commercial premises have to be declared dangerous. COuncils with greater industrial zones will have an overrepresentation of DDs.

including at least 190 American pit bulls, at least 130 pit bull terriers

I'm not touching this piece of idiocy with a 10 foot pole.

Considering the law states that all APBTs have to be declared dangerous no matter what their personality is like, I dont see how this is relevant at all to the dog bite story. Same with security dogs and those on commercial properties. They have no correlation any of these declared dogs have bitten anyone, bet you majority have not or they would probably be dead not home.

scaremongering garbage again.

Thanks for commenting on the herald sun Julie, If you read all the 104 comments their are so many people who hate dogs & want them all banned. They also see that people who own a Rottweiler, doberman or german shepherd as a "BOGAN." As that's the image they recieve from the media and I do understand in the poorer suburbs people have these dogs to scare of thieves and are needed for protection.

I spoke to my girlfriend's step dad who brought this up last night, as he know's I love larger dog breeds, which his against. His one of these idiots that looks at a large breed is aware it will cause much more damage then a maltese terrier and thinks we should kill all large breeds, and that the breeds mentioned should all be banned. It's hard to persuade someone when there already fixed on an opinion, which makes my blood boil. I agree with Mark Singer's suggestions about breeding and owners needing a liscence etc.

Heres an interesting study carried out by the University of Córdoba

Dogs Are Aggressive If They Are Trained Badly

Dogs Are Aggressive If They Are Trained Badly

Thanks Mark, had a good read of the article.

Here is an article my friend contributed to in todays Geelong Advertiser. Some common sense.

Rise in Geelong dog attacks

Kerri-Ann Hobbs

May 13th, 2010

ALMOST one dog attack a week was reported to Geelong council over the past year, up from just nine during 2008.

City of Greater Geelong rangers investigated 46 attacks across the city during 2009 but City Hall records show the number of registered dangerous dogs had dropped by almost half over the same time.

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And one dog trainer said she was not surprised by the figures, saying residents were choosing the wrong pets for their lifestyles.

The 2009 figures were in stark contrast to 2008 statistics which showed Geelong led the state for the number of registered declared dogs 72 and number of bites requiring hospital treatment 32 while just nine attacks were reported to authorities for investigation.

"The City of Greater Geelong has one of Victoria's largest animal data bases, so it is to be expected that Geelong will have significant representation in matters such as the incidence of declared dangerous dogs," council's local laws manager Steve Sodomaco said.

Mr Sodomaco said 35 of the currently declared dangerous dogs mainly mastiff, rottweiler, cattle dog, German shepherd or crossbreeds were registered as guard dogs for industrial and commercial premises.

Animal trainer and border collie breeder Tina Button said she was not surprised by the high number of dangerous dogs or attacks given the number of pets bought from backyard breeders and puppy farms.

"It concerns me greatly," she said.

"Most of the dogs that I go and see that have issues with biting and aggression tend to be the smaller, handbag-type, designer dogs.

"The dogs that are involved in large-dog attacks the council would usually get involved before a dog trainer does because the bite is normally reported."

Ms Button said most ethical, registered breeders would cull litters to ensure aggressive lines did not continue.

"The other breeds of dog I've been working on lately with aggression is my own breed of border collies," she said.

"People are buying them off farms and sticking them in backyards and the dogs are becoming frustrated and bored. "These dogs need to work and are not suitable for suburban life."

Here is an article I put in the paper for a dog I was given by a client. This puppy farmer is STILL going, he is notorious and if anyone remember the Les and Melinda Paxton debacle down here near Anakie, this bloke shares their dogs. He breeds large/giant breeds and this is the unfortunate by product.

Fears puppy-mill dogs may attack - Local News - Geelong, VIC, Australia

Fears puppy-mill dogs may attack

Kerri-Ann Hobbs

November 7th, 2009


DANGEROUS? This young German shepherd has already bitten two people and there are concerns the rest of the litter could be aggressive.

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FIVE of this dog's litter-mates are living in Geelong and, according to some experts, are ticking time bombs ready to explode and attack a person or animal.

This seven-month-old white German shepherd dog, sold to a Geelong couple by Anakie puppy farmer Robert Adamo, has already bitten two people and shown aggression towards children.

He's likely to be destroyed next week but dog trainers Julie Kopunovich and Tina Button fear other families may be unaware of the danger their pets pose to the community.

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Mr Adamo has denied the pup was a danger when it left his De Motts Rd property and said its owners were to blame for any aggression problems.

"Dogs have a flight-or-fight defence system," Ms Button said.

"Generally, dogs won't fight if they don't have to but if they feel cornered and have no where to fly to they will fight.

"This dog would have to be classed as a dangerous dog."

Ms Kopunovich, who will try to re-home the dog with an experienced Melbourne trainer this weekend, said the fear and aggression was caused by a lack of socialisation and handling as puppies.

"A wild dog would probably behave better than what this dog is," she said.

"The sire of this dog has known aggression to humans and other dogs."

She warned Geelong would likely see a rise in the number of dog attacks because animals from bulk breeders, dubbed puppy mills, often had psychological problems.

Mr Adamo, who admits to having 50 dogs of various breeds on his farm, said he bred puppies to help pay for animal feed but said all were vaccinated and vet checked prior to sale.

"How can a person have a dog for seven months and say it's crazy?" he said.

"A dog doesn't become crazy after seven months. If it's going to be crazy then it's crazy from a pup."

Mr Adamo said he didn't handle his pups, preferring to let their mothers rear the babies and allow the new owners to bond with their pets.

"I have never had a child bitten or anyone bitten by my dogs," he said.

"If any one of my dogs growls or snarls at a person in front of me, while I'm home, they get put down.

"I've never had a complaint.

"People call me the dog whisperer."

Mr Adamo said he bred toy dogs such as jack russells and pugs, working dogs such as cattle dogs and border collies and larger breeds such as the French mastiff, great danes and German shepherds.

Beautiful dog but was so sad to see in the days he was here with me.