List collars deadly dogs

By Ed Merrison
THE Shire of Yarra Ranges has welcomed a State Government initiative to establish a centralised registry of dangerous, restricted and menacing dogs.
The Victoria-wide initiative follows a spate of dog attacks over the past month.
It will allow councils to share information for the first time and make it harder for owners to escape dog control restrictions when they move house.
Under the new regulations, a $1000 fine will apply if owners move and fail to notify the council that their dog has been declared dangerous, restricted or menacing, meaning it has attacked, rushed at or intimidated people or their pets.
Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron said the centralised registry would replace Victoria’s hotchpotch of lists and databases operated by individual councils.
There was no tracking system for dangerous dogs moving from one council to another.
“Now we have a standardised scanning and identification system and a central government-funded database for councils to use to track the movement of dangerous dogs.
“This is important to ensure owners don’t attempt to dodge the tight restrictions placed on the ownership and housing of dangerous dogs by moving house,” Mr Cameron said.
New regulations will also allow the declaration by a council of a dog as dangerous, menacing or a restricted breed to be applied statewide.
The centralised registry will be managed by the Department of Primary Industry’s Bureau of Animal Welfare.
Shire director of planning, building and health James Larmour-Reid said it would make it easier for all councils to manage dangerous dogs.
“All councils will have access through a secure website to the registry, recording all declared dangerous, menacing and restricted breed dogs.
Mr Larmour-Reid said the Shire of Yarra Ranges already has a dangerous dogs register containing the required information.
“It will be a relatively easy exercise to input the data into the Victorian Declared Dog Registry and maintain it into the future,” Mr Larmour-Reid said.
The State Government has also urged Victorians to report to their local council unregistered dogs, undeclared pit bull terriers and dogs that attack or show menacing behaviour to people and other animals.