I spend a lot of time here talking about the failings of BSL - particularly in the UK where their dog bite numbers have increased dramatically over the past decade in spite of (or because of) their 1991 dangerous dogs act that banned four breeds of dogs, including pit bull terriers, from their country. The struggles there led to leading home secretary Chris Huhne to say, "The Dangerous Dogs Act is one of the most ineffective pieces of legislation in recent years....costing millions and being completely unworkable."
But they aren't the only ones have problems. The German state of Schleswig-Holstein repealed their breed ban last year, as did the countries of Italy and The Netherlands.
Now comes the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand. Last year, Kapiti saw their number of dog bites more than double - from 60 attacks to 121 in just one year. What may be worse, is that of the 121 bites, only 5 went to court becasue the council said it would lose money prosecuting all of the cases. While many are calling for more laws, the council says it won't matter because Kapiti cannot enforce the current laws and is failing to prosecute violators.
All of this comes at a time when Kapiti has breed specific legislation that mandates that all 'pit bulls' are automatically "menacing" -- requiring them to be altered and have a special license.
The area is clearly a mess when it comes to its dog laws and enforcement...
Comments