Prevention of dog attacks in public places
Summary
Results of an 11-council dog attack prevention campaign are presented. 80% of incidents related to inadequate dog confinement.Dog attacks in public places are an issue for all Councils, attracting substantial public concern, media attention, and demanding a considerable proportion of Animal Management Officer time. Councils are responsible for implementing legislation to control dogs in public places, and therefore play an important role in preventing attacks in the community.
Eleven Victorian Councils undertook a comprehensive dog attack prevention campaign and outcomes are discussed. Further, this paper identifies the factors involved in dog attacks in public places, gives results of a 1997-99 dog attack survey and documents strategies Councils can realistically use to address the problem.
The community surveys showed programs were successful in:
- improving residents' opinions of Council animal management services
- reducing the number of dogs seen wandering at large in the streets
- ensuring dog owners take more care to confine dogs
- improving resident's understanding of their legal rights and obligations in regard to dog ownership and dog attacks in public places.