Dangerous Dogs Act - Trinidad and Tobago

[nemisis]

Story Created: Dec 17, 2012 at 9:57 PM ECT

Story Updated: Dec 18, 2012 at 7:31 AM ECT

AN ARIMA woman was hospitalised while one of two pitbulls that attacked her near her Santa Rosa Heights home was shot dead when the animals attacked her on Sunday night.

Police said around 7 p.m. on Sunday, Karen Lara , 22, was near her Cinnamon Crescent home in Santa Rosa when the dogs attacked her.

Her piercing screams alerted the police who were on duty at the Pinto Road Police Post and two officers ran out to investigate.

By this time one of the dogs had Lara pinned to the ground and despite the desperate shouts of the officers, the dogs held on to her.

One of the officers took aim and fired a single gunshot which killed one of the dogs, while the other ran off. Officers ran after the dog but it escaped.

Lara in the meantime was taken to the Arima District Hospital with injuries to her face and buttocks.

According to her relatives, Lara was then moved from the Arima Hospital to another medical institution which they did not want to name.

Arima police said that they did not know who owned the dogs.

In August this year the Dangerous Dogs Act was supposed to have been proclaimed but when a number of animal interest groups began protesting parts of the law, the bill was sent back to the Law Review Commission with the view to tweaking it.

The bill is still being pondered to date. The Act, which was released in April this year for public review, listed three breeds of dogs which are considered dangerous dogs - the Pitbull Terrier or any dog bred from the Pitbull Terrier, the Fila Brasileiro or any dog bred from the Fila Brasileiro and the Japanese Tosa or any dog bred from the Japanese Tosa.

Section 4(1) of the Act provides that no person shall import into Trinidad and Tobago a dangerous dog, or the semen or embryo of a dangerous dog. Additionally, section 5 (1) of the Act states that a person who owns a dangerous dog shall ensure that the dog is spayed or neutered by a veterinary surgeon within three months of the coming into force of the Act, while section 5 (2) (a) provides that no person shall breed or breed from a dangerous dog.

[nemisis]

By Susan Mohammed

Story Created: Dec 17, 2012 at 9:57 PM ECT

Story Updated: Dec 18, 2012 at 2:24 AM ECT

A FYZABAD mother of four underwent surgery at hospital last week after being bitten by a pitbull near her home.

Dhanwatie Rampersad-Declou, 32, is hospitalised at the San Fernando General where she had surgery to her left leg.

Rampersad-Declou was near her home last Thursday when the dog attacked her.

Speaking from her hospital bed yesterday, Rampersad-Declou said, "I went to speak to my neighbour across the road about an accident involving my ten- year-old daughter Britney. While I was talking to them, the gate opened and the dog came out and rushed me. My leg was bleeding a lot and I fainted. I woke up in the hospital."

Vice-president of the Trinidad and Tobago Canine Advocate Jean Claude Al-Jmayel yesterday appealed to dog owners to secure their pets.

He said, "The TTCA remains committed to public safety as it relates to their interaction with dogs. We appeal to the public to ensure that their dogs are properly trained, well socialised and secured".

He suggested the Government consider the recommendations of his association and other concerned groups "and implement legislation based on responsible ownership and not specific breeds as breed specific legislation is a proven failure worldwide, resulting in the increase in dog bite incidents".

[MG Man]

"The TTCA remains committed to public safety as it relates to their interaction with dogs. We appeal to the public to ensure that their dogs are properly trained, well socialised and secured".
.

a helluva lot of good that's doing

[Sheriff]

Dangerous Dog Bill debate today.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,179252.html

[MG Man]

*wonders where my 3/4 Belgian Shepherd, 1/4 Akita will be classified*

[devrat]

*wonders where my 3/4 Belgian Shepherd, 1/4 Akita will be classified*

wife = dangerous

[MG Man]

lol
that plus as far as I concerned, the dog is a pot-hound....but ppl hear 'akita' and get all jumpy

[dougla_boy]

wah about caribbean shepherd? my dog does get on real bad

[DVSTT]

Why we can't neuter and kill dangerous people?

[pioneer]

cuz dem ha rights

[devrat]

Why we can't neuter and kill dangerous people?

Starting with the politicians?

[pioneer]

Oh boy...from a dumb law to an even dumber law

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/JAI ... 19141.html

The bill, which requires a special majority, repeals the Dangerous Dogs Act 2000. Dangerous dogs (defined in the bill as Class A) include pitbull terrier or any dog bred from the pitbull terrier; fila brasileiros or any dog bred from this type and Japanese Tosas, or any dog bred from this type.

So, exactly how are they going to determine if a dog was bred from a pitbull terrier, fila brasileiros and japanese tosas?

They doing DNA tests?...asking dog for he birth certificate to see who he parents was?

So if dotish chiren continue to provoke dogs, and their parents jus lulz it off, are the parents liable for harassment?

[Breeds]

Oh boy...from a dumb law to an even dumber law

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/JAI ... 19141.html

The bill, which requires a special majority, repeals the Dangerous Dogs Act 2000. Dangerous dogs (defined in the bill as Class A) include pitbull terrier or any dog bred from the pitbull terrier; fila brasileiros or any dog bred from this type and Japanese Tosas, or any dog bred from this type.

So, exactly how are they going to determine if a dog was bred from a pitbull terrier, fila brasileiros and japanese tosas?

They doing DNA tests?...asking dog for he birth certificate to see who he parents was?

So if dotish chiren continue to provoke dogs, and their parents jus lulz it off, are the parents liable for harassment?

Plus dey was suppose to class d dogs based on temperament and dey don't even hav a team of qualified professionals to do so as yet! Dey just basically bring back breed specific legislation.

[Soul Collector]

You does really wonder if the ppl who sitting drafting these laws does really think things through yes, or think at all. Is nothing they could get right so? This country yes....I does know to expect the worse know, but geez, I dohtish to have a glimmer of hope once in a while that at least common sense would prevail.

[DVSTT]

Phew, thank you PP, this will finally put an end to the pitbull menace that is plaguing T&T, is not like if we have murders, rapists, thieves and rampant corruption in society that we should focus on....

[sMASH]

in the last rounds, the assessment would have been done on the spot by a police or sumting, and the onus was on the owner to prove them wrong.

that was one of the major cockamamie schemes about that bill that i did not think was intelligent.

at least they not going to kill off the dogs.

so the dangerous dogs interpret dogs as classes a and b. class a dogs are the dangerous dogs which are pits, brasilieros, tosas, and any mix of them. class b are any other types of dogs.

for class a dogs-
-if it mauls a person, fines up to $100,000 + 5 years jail.
-killing some one wrong fully $200,000 + 10 years jail.
-not licensing the dog $50,000 fine
-the penalties do not apply to dog attacks of a person perpetrating a crime against you. but reasonable cause must be demonstrated.

and u have to
-chip the dog
-metal collar with information
-secure the property
-take out $250 000 insurance policy
-inspect the premises
-license $1000 for one dog, or $1500 for each dog if more than one
-and u can't take it to certain social gathering places like restaurants, malls, shops, food places, etc


class b dogs
- nothing about registering, licensing, insurance etc
- no provisions for compensation for any injury or death by a class b dog,
-if some one is found to be encouraging their dog to attack a fine of $25 000 and penalties cited earlier

nothing applies to guide dogs

but any way, how does one go about getting a dog interpreted as a guide dog?

[sMASH]

mind u i find sheppards to be more frightening than pits.

[BrandonSingh]

tie yuh dog....as simple as dat
fedup get bite

[RedTiger]

" Imbert also said the bill needed to apply to dogs which were out of control not, simply “out of control in a public place,” as the bill stated. Imbert noted the recent case of Justice Minister Christlyn Moore’s Rottweillier which had attacked the police. "

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-06- ... d-dog-bill

Pits & Rotts are guards/protection dogs. What was this dog doing roaming the neighborhood ?

[RIPEBREDFRUIT]

so will owners be jailed for their out of control dogs?
these animals when left to their own are capable of killing and have done so...........

[DrunkenMaster16]

smoke screens at the cost of good owners sleep. This bill yet again has proven they do not know dog poop. AFAIK my Hybred-pothound is an emergency helper dog, I trained him to warn me of oncoming earthquakes, tornado's, hurricanes and epileptic fits. Not to mention to keep the local spranger out of my yard away from my zabukka.

Back to the drawing board, waste more time and come to the same result. We can't even manage road and traffic laws yet they want to chip dogs (NO ONE DOES IT LOCALLY), register "dangerous dogs", find an insurance company that is willing to give you insurance for 250 000 on a dog...

I feel its time I go take a walk in block one by annand and let my dog play with his kids in front of him. I want a letter from the AG stating that my dog is a class 'F' for Friendly when not provoked.

[shogun]

mind u i find sheppards to be more frightening than pits.

I don't find shepherds more frightening, but i do consider them dangerous dogs.

There's one on my street that used to chase you down, anytime she got out of her yard.

And that b!tch is still the noisiest, most aggressive dog on the street.

[DrunkenMaster16]

so will owners be jailed for their out of control dogs?
these animals when left to their own are capable of killing and have done so...........

same can be said about the other animals we have on the loose that you like to complain about....but I never hear about a dog raping then killing or robbing then attacking... I'd rather take my chances with a dog.

what about the thousand s of dogs this bill if ever put into place will be abandoned because of:

No insurance covering a dog
No one having a man come and say you need to raise your fence to 6 ft because that is the standard and it must be cemented in with a foot of cement bla bla bs.. i've seen blue bullies scale walls and 6+ ft fences when provoked by laborers and children.

Dangerous Humans act should be 1st priority.

[shogun]

Dangerous Humans act should be 1st priority.

[ck2wanker]

Rapists, thieves and robbers just got a passport to their victims now , they just take away de poor man's gun!!!!!!

[wagonon20's]

Wel is jus bullet Fuh dem now, no bite!

[wagonon20's]

Wel is jus bullet Fuh dem now, no bite!

[Soundwave]

Wel is jus bullet Fuh dem now, no bite!

[Cid]

Wel is jus bullet Fuh dem now, no bite!

[Cid]

Wel is jus bullet Fuh dem now, no bite!