An animal management taskforce has urgently met this afternoon to discuss tougher penalties for dangerous dog owners in Queensland.
The taskforce has proposed jail time for people responsible for dogs that kill or seriously harm a person, among a raft of measures.
It follows a spate of serious dog mauling’s across Queensland, including one on the Gold Coast last week that left a 3-year-old girl with severe injuries.
Other ideas put forward include a statewide ban on restricted breeds, increased penalties for irresponsible dog owners and a community education program.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development Mark Furner says the community deserves to feel safe.
“We expect animal owners to ensure their pets don’t present a danger to the community,” Minister Furner says.
“These proposed changes promote responsible dog ownership, protect the community, and enforce appropriate penalties when community standards aren’t met.”
The next step is to undertake community consultation on the proposed changes.
As well as tough new penalties, Minister Furner believes better owner education was critical to reducing dog bites.
Eighty per cent of bites occur in the home, with a majority of those by a dog that a person owns or is known to them.
A community education program targeted at children and dog owners was proposed to the taskforce to combat this.
The Taskforce is made up of local government members from across Queensland, the Local Government Association of Queensland and senior Department of Agriculture and Fisheries officers.
