Australian State to Ban "Killing Machine" Dogs
Date: 05-May-05
Country: AUSTRALIA
"A pit bull is a killing machine on a leash and too often someone ends up in an emergency ward after an encounter with one of these dogs," New South Wales Premier Bob Carr said.
New laws will prohibit the sale, acquisition, breeding or giving away of pit bull terriers, American pit bulls, Japanese tosas, Argentinian fighting dogs and Brazilian fighting dogs. The ban is expected to take effect from June or July.
Current owners of the breeds must have their dogs desexed, Carr said in a statement received on Wednesday. "We want to see these dangerous creatures bred out of existence."
The New South Wales ban matches last year's ban on pit bulls by the Canadian province of Ontario.
Pit bull terriers, a cross between a bull dog and terrier, were historically used for dog fighting and hunting because of their aggression and strength.
There are already bans on importing the five breeds into Australia and owners must be over 18 years of age and keep the dogs in secure enclosures. There are about 3,300 dogs of restricted breeds registered in New South Wales state.
Last week, a five-year boy suffered head and arm injuries when he was mauled by a pit bull on the way home from school and a 75-year-old man was attacked by two pit bulls as he walked along a footpath in the western suburbs of Sydney.
American Pit Bull Association spokesman Colin Muir said the ban was unfair and the government should be targeting irresponsible owners. "It's a form of canine genocide. There is no question about that," Muir told Australian television.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Australia welcomed the ban but warned the restrictions might create an underground trade in the dog breeds.
