11 Dogs Kill 61 Year Old Owner

Urgent Media Release

Issued Friday 15th June 2006
For Immediate Use

Title: Dogs NSW attacks State government

Keith Irwin, President of Dogs NSW said, "That the terrible incident where an early pensioner, lost her life, in an apparent dog pack attack, is likely to occur again, unless the NSW government acts to ban back yard breeding and the cross breeding from any of the known herding, guarding or working dogs.

Reliable sources indicate that the dogs involved in this pack attack were mostly crossbred Great Danes and Wolfhounds, which is a terrible combination."

Mr Irwin said, "Dogs NSW went to the former Minister of Local Government, almost 2 years ago, at the time the 5 year review was being undertaken into the NSW Companion Animals Act. The Minister was told then that most of the problems of dog attacks came from dogs sold by back yard breeders, where, in most cases
no thought was given to the temperament or proper rearing of puppies.

At the time of the review, Dogs NSW also told the Minister and his Department by way of a formal submission, that in its view, the indiscriminate cross breeding of Herding, Guard, and Working Dogs was in fact dangerous and should be prohibited by Legislation. Dogs NSW provided the Department with a list of
45 breeds that should not be used in any form of cross breeding of dogs, including the new designer dog tag, which appeared to be apply to almost any kind of crossbreed. The Government rejected the submission.

Mr Irwin said, "There is more blood on the hands of the NSW Government again as we see the 3rd death in under 2 years involving dog attacks. When is the NSW Government going to listen and take the right kind of action?."

He went on to say the recently introduced school program introduced to stop dogs was failing to make any marked difference in the number of attacks for a number of reasons: that the educational program fails to address the issue of education for pre school children, where most deaths and horrific attacks occur and
secondly, the delivery of the program is being carried without the support of Dogs NSW and its members.

The last time Mr Irwin asked the Premier to meet with Dogs NSW to discuss the issues of dog control, he declined to meet. Mr Irwin asked, "How many more deaths will it take before the Premier is prepared to at least listen to Dogs NSW?'

END OF RELEASE