Plea to pick pets properly!

By Melissa Grant
CARDINIA Shire Council is urging its residents to take a responsible approach to pet ownership and to ensure any dog attacks are reported to local authorities.
Picking pets carefully and looking after them properly were the keys to a happy relationship between dog and owner and neighbours, council’s manager local laws Alan Giachin said.
The comments come two months after a nine-week baby girl was killed by a Rottweiler at her family’s Pakenham home.
Mr Giachin said council had recently received questions from residents asking if certain breeds of dogs could be restricted.
He said that, although there were restricted breeds under State Government legislation, it should be remembered that any dog was potentially capable of attacking- regardless of size or breed.
“Council has found the most effective measure to reduce dog attacks is taking a proactive approach in encouraging residents to choose pets according to what best suits their lifestyle and environment.”
Mr Giachin said council took incidences of dog attacks seriously, but could only take appropriate action if the incident was reported.
“If we’re told about it, we can do something about it,” he said.
“If we don’t know, we can’t help.
“Council undertakes several initiatives to encourage responsible pet ownership and our Local Laws team strives to provide the best animal management service possible.”
Mr Giachin said reports of dog attacks had decreased in recent times and council was keen to ensure the trend continued.
“It is important to remember the number of dog attacks is very few in proportion to the number of dogs in the shire,” he said.
Any dog attack can lead to court action against the owner.
Recent council records indicate that 70 per cent of dog attacks that go to court result in the owner being convicted of an offence, and 30 per cent result in damages of up to $5000 being awarded.
The number of registered dogs in Cardinia is currently 11,298.
It is estimated that the shire is home to 11,520 dogs, so council has a high ratio of registrations compared to the overall canine population.
Mr Giachin said that this could be partly attributed to council’s highly successful Pet Expo, which is on again this Saturday.
Dog owners who visit the expo can take advantage of discounted microchipping, as well as initiatives such as the provision of first year free pet registration. Local vets will be on hand to administer a microchip for just $20 per animal.
The 2008 Cardinia Shire Pet Expo will run from 10am to 2pm at the Cardinia Shire Offices, Henty Way, Pakenham.