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BSL is a general term or acronym for Breed Specific
Legislation |
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Breed Specific Legislation is a
draconian
law which restricts or prohibits ownership of
certain dogs due solely to their breeding or the way
the look. |
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The misguided legislation primarily focuses on
inherited traits in an erroneous belief that the
original breed development (ancestry) is the sole
source of potential aggression. Unfortunately the
responsibility of the owner (or nurturing in the
animals environment) is not taken into account.
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Australia introduced one of the earliest forms of
BSL with the banning of importation of German
Shepherd Dogs from 1929 until 1974. This was based
on an assumption they would mate with Dingos and
create a super race of sheep killing canines.
Australia also has a
long history of muzzling the gentle and aristocratic
Greyhound (the only country besides Northern Ireland
to do so) and of requiring licenses for the
ownership of our native dog, the Australian Dingo. |
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In 1991, after
lobbying for 4 years, the RSPCA and other
smaller vocal lobbyists managed to have four breeds
of dogs declared dangerous and banned from further
importation:
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Dogo Argentino
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Fila Brasileiro (Brazilian Mastiff)
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Japanese Tosa
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American Pit Bull Terrier or Pit Bull Terrier
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Presa Canario
(added in 2005)
At the
time ALP Minister Mr Alan Griffith stated there had
been no imports into Australia of Dogo or Tosa
breeds. No records show Fila's as being widely bred.
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| In 2005, the Presa
Canario was added due to the death in the United
States of America. Very few if any would have been
imported to Australia. |
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| South Australia,
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western
Australia have already introduced some form of Breed
Specific Legislation. |
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Compare and contrast these legislations for yourself
by clicking here. |
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| State legislators
use their own terminology for the breed they wish to
ban or restrict. Deplorably to date no authority has
ever researched the simplest of questions
What
is a Pitbull in Australia? All state governments
have ignored calls to define the term and
standardise the identification processes. |
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There is no breed in any breed registry worldwide of
the name Pit Bull. He is a media generated term for
a cross bred canine most often used when
generalising about dangerous dogs. |
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"Eliminating a breed
or non breed of dog will never accomplish or serve
justice or help victims or families of
victims…However, holding owners as legally
responsible for the actions of a criminal/rogue dog
will serve justice. Exactly as holding a drunk
driver responsible for consequences of his actions
will serve justice…" Dee Dee
Anderson, Virginia |
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Often touted by BSL supporters as
fighting dogs, the
Dogo Argentino
and the
Fila Brasileiro
were originally bred as...hunting
dogs. Other hunting dogs include
Cocker Spaniels, Beagles and
Golden Retrievers
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A
history of fighting is
prevalent in many of todays modern
breeds
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Criminals who secretly fight dogs in
most democracies do not care for
breed purity or animal welfare. The
dogs kept by these criminals are
abused in the most appalling ways
which only man could devise
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Dogs
referred to as Pit Bull Terriers,
American Pit Bull Terriers or
Pit Bulls in most states of
the USA include 3 common and popular
breeds. Two of the breeds are
recognized and registered with our
own Australian National Kennel
Council
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In earlier times man developed
breeds for behaviours we may now
condemn. Bear baiters became rat
killers in the pit and continued on
to become fighting dogs. However any
dog who was unable to be handled by
human hands was culled. They were
the Nanny Dogs, stable and
loving as the very popular bull
breeds of today are!
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The Federal Government Import Ban
Law currently lacks descriptions for
the identification of the breeds
banned from import. Australia relies
solely on the exporting countries
breed declaration!
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