Dog License Should Be a Mandatory Nationwide

noideaa on 28/06/2023 - 21:59
Last edited 28/06/2023 - 22:32

Dog ownership have skyrocketed in the last few years in my area (Melbourne) and there are far too many owners out there who are heartless scumbags with a mentality of "she won't bite ya" despite knowing fully well what's happening in heated situations and how dogs charge toward you and your kids from out of nowhere with no owners on sight.

So, there should be a mandatory dog license with training, regular home inspection to ensure fence are high and secured and hefty fines/prison so that way, people will think twice before owning them. Owning an animal capable of killing should be treated the same as owning a gun.

Pros of Dog License:

  • Mandatory training and test to ensure understanding before getting a license. I can imagine this will put off a lot of people.

  • Harsh fines and jail term. Eg: $1000+ fines when un-leached or causing a scare to others. 1+ year jail term for injuries depending how severe it is.

  • Owning certain dog breeds should vary on location and the size of your property. For example, it should be illegal to own larger breeds if you're living in a townhouse/unit or an apartment and near schools/shops. That way, it makes it harder for tough wannabes to own larger breeds.

  • As mentioned above, $20,000+ fines for pet shops if they throw around dogs to people like candies if they don't follow the law.

There are so many benefits of making them a mandatory. Dog ownership and attacks will reduce significantly and people will be forced to put 200% effort to looking after them. It will also benefit a lot to the govt as they can see this as revenue raising.

Thoughts?

Pets

Comments

  • jjjaar on 28/06/2023 - 22:08
    +17

    For example, it should be illegal to own larger breeds if you're living in a townhouse/unit or an apartment

    Well you really have no idea what you’re on about.

    Great Danes and Greyhounds are amongst other larger breeds that thrive in apartments - and are better suited to apartment living than a lot of smaller breeds. They’re lazy creatures and don’t need yards to survive. Frequent walks are importsnt, but oftentimes these dogs don’t even want to go as much as the owners try and take them.

    That way, it makes it harder for tough wannabes to own larger breeds.

    So basically your view is that people who can’t afford larger properties aren’t allowed to have larger dogs?

    • Loot N Plunder on 29/06/2023 - 07:16
      +2

      I have a great dane on acreage and she is 70kg of pure muscle there is no way she would be like that in an apartment i have seen it first hand with people trapping large dogs in a small living quarters.
      There is not enough mental stimulation in an apartment and a 20 min walk a day would not be enough for their fitness.
      Big dogs need room to play and be stupid it would be like prison if they were in a tiny house with no yard.
      Haven't you seen the size of their turds/paws/foot steps? they can take up the whole lounge they need space
      An apartment would be ok for a Chihuahua

      • morse on 29/06/2023 - 07:24
        +1

        Greyhounds are probably the more common exception for a big dog that can do well in a small space. They sleep a lot! And then prefer to go to a dog park for a run and zoomies as well as some walking. So if you lived in an apartment near a dog park I think you’d be right. There’s no reason people who live in an apartment would only do a 20min walk. Lots of people walk their dog 2-3 times a day and an apartment has nothing to do with it.

        I don’t know a lot about Great Danes but there’s one near me who lives in an apartment and the owner takes it for a walk twice a day on the beach, seems happy and healthy to me.

        • Loot N Plunder on 29/06/2023 - 07:33
          -2

          I don’t know a lot about Great Danes but there’s one near me who lives in an apartment and the owner takes it for a walk twice a day on the beach, seems happy and healthy to me.

          Seems healthy?
          I bet it is unfit and not toned at all just like a person living on the couch.
          I have seen it first hand with danes they are either active super fit and pure muscle or lazy unfit fat slobs and it can be attributed to their lifestyle/living quarters

          My dane will disappear for at least an hour at a time just to play with the neighbors sheep through the fence running jumping up and down

          • morse on 29/06/2023 - 07:50
            +1

            @Loot N Plunder: I don’t have a photo because that would be weird, but he looks pretty buff to me. I used to seem them a lot on beach walks before my late lab passed, seemed like a happy healthy dog to me. You kind of sound a bit judgy ie “if people don’t do it the same way I do on my large property, it’s clearly animal abuse”

            • Loot N Plunder on 29/06/2023 - 07:57
              +1

              @morse: it’s clearly animal abuse”

              I have not once said animal abuse

              I have said i have seen it first hand healthy fit dogs verse unhealthy unfit dogs. Just like humans

              • Settero on 29/06/2023 - 08:02
                +3

                @Loot N Plunder: Iv seen fat/unhealthy people in big house with big yards. And super fit people in tiny apartments. A dog 100% can be happy and healthy living in an apartments , this is not the case more often than not but that's on the owner

              • morse on 29/06/2023 - 08:16

                @Loot N Plunder: Sure an exaggeration - but you’ve pretty much said a large dog can’t be healthy living in apartment. Great Danes are also highly social (probably why your likes hangs with the sheep), people could have a big property and never be home and not let the dog hang with the humans inside and that would be unfair to the dog too. That’s why it’s not the house itself which determines whether a dog is happy and healthy it’s what its humans do for it too.

                • Loot N Plunder on 29/06/2023 - 08:40
                  +1

                  @morse: people could have a big property and never be home and not let the dog hang with the humans inside and that would be unfair to the dog too

                  Clutching straws there
                  Complete opposite
                  Like i said they take up space like the whole lounge the whole floor space they cant do zoomies in a hallway or small room like a Chihuahua
                  Its also important to socialize them with other dogs/people and having a large yard isn't enough they still need to go out for stimulation even my dog grabs the lead daily even after having acreage

    • JimmyF on 29/06/2023 - 08:53
      -2

      Great Danes and Greyhounds are amongst other larger breeds that thrive in apartments

      LOL

    • Caped Baldy on 29/06/2023 - 08:55

      I've worked closely with the companion animal team at my council and since covid there's been an increase in dog ownership. The number of staff has remained the same but the number of dogs has doubled and the number of reported incidents has quadrupled. There's definitely a lot more inconsiderate and selfish dog owners these days.

      I've heard new nicknames for some dog parks such as doggie fight club and the cage of rage.

  • jakka on 28/06/2023 - 22:11
    +14

    Username checks out

  • randomusername2017 on 28/06/2023 - 22:25
    +1

    Thoughts

    My head hurts after trying to read that.

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 28/06/2023 - 22:32
    +1

    Surely there are better things we can spend tax payer money on than some national dog registration service?

  • ginormousgiraffe on 28/06/2023 - 22:41
    +2

    It's a bit harsh to send someone to prison for removing leaches from their dog

  • AustriaBargain on 28/06/2023 - 22:49
    +1

    i want to get a little pug. i saw one for adoption on rspca facebook page. I don't think that tiny pug could scare anyway.

    • morse on 29/06/2023 - 03:50

      I’ve had an incident with a small frenchy where it was nipping at my late lab and I was carrying a baby so couldn’t intervene and owner (local business owner) did nothing. Customers of his cafe had to get up and help me get past, I later so reviews online that this has happened to two other people walking past his shop. The frenchy seemed to be scared of large dogs so would come bolting out of the cafe barking an nipping one came past.

      Little dogs can scare.

  • AngoraFish on 28/06/2023 - 22:50
    +4

    I've been on both sides, and I've certainly seen more than my share of dog bites and irresponsible dog owners, but I think you've gone down the old chestnut of some combination of the gubmn't and 'education' being able to solve all your problems.

    If you want to criminalize dog ownership 'training' won't help. We know how well that works with gun ownership, for example. Also, what specifically are we training people in, how not to annoy noideaa? Odds on any training won't be the kind you're imagining.

    Jail terms and fines larger than you're proposing are already in place. They're about to be strengthened in Queensland and the ACT. In Victoria and NSW you can be jailed for up to 10 years if your dog kills someone, and a bit less if the person is seriously injured. I haven't researched every state, but I guess you're winning that argument? Although 'scare' is a bit subjective, don't you think? Half my family are scared of spiders and those spiders just sit quietly in their webs minding their own business.

    As others have said, dog size is irrelevant to the aggressiveness or appropriateness of dogs. While every dog is different, a typical greyhound sleeps 20 hours a day, doesn't bark, and will automatically retreat at any sign of conflict unless cornered. On the other hand, sure, don't keep a cattle dog in your apartment.

    Most pet shops haven't displayed puppies in front windows to attract impulse buys for years. It's discouraged through codes of practice, if not outright banned in most states of Australia. You're imagining a problem that doesn't exist.

    You're also completely ignoring the many benefits of dog ownership, such as companionship for the elderly and isolated, dogs providing incentive for people to exercise and socialize, and the fact that dogs just bring a smile to the faces of many kids and strangers.

    Dogs have evolved for 20,000 years to live with people, and vice-versa. Dogs have a highly developed ability to enjoy being around people and to read human non-verbal communication. They are not some kind of modern, indulgent fad.

    Chances are, if you have an issue with a dog the problem is the owner. If you want to ban scumbags then I'm here for it, but don't do it by limiting your focus to only those scumbags who happen to own dogs. The world is full of scumbags.

    • ssfps on 29/06/2023 - 04:03
      +2

      Chances are, if you have an issue with a dog the problem is the owner.

      Sure, but most dog owners are garbage. As a dog owner, most dogs I see in public should be taken from their owners. Most of them have no clue about training, control, or safety. Most dogs i've lived nearby to have been insane, due to the owners neglect - only for the owners to come home at 6pm and pretend the dog wasn't going nuts ina small backyard all day.

    • Loot N Plunder on 29/06/2023 - 07:24
      +1

      typical greyhound sleeps 20 hours a day, doesn't bark,

      Wrong my neighbor has greyhounds an we hear them howling all the time day or night especially when there is sirens
      The reason it sleeps 20 hours a day is because you aren't giving the dog enough stimulation/exercise

      • angywoo on 29/06/2023 - 11:41
        +1

        Greyhounds require short bursts of exercise as they are sprinters.

      • AngoraFish on 29/06/2023 - 19:00

        I'm sure the RSPCA will be eager to hear how your one anecdote and angry shower opinions invalidate their decades of expertise.

        https://rspcavic.org/learn/greyhounds-as-pets/

      • MyOtherOtter on 03/07/2023 - 10:57

        Some greyhounds get separation anxiety - as usual, poor dog behaviour is down to the owners.

        My greyhound is usually fine home alone for most of the day, but when we were moving house he was super stressed, and would howl if left alone.

        You just have to know your dog, and train them appropriately. Greyhounds have dealt with a lot of poor treatment, so some can never be trained out of separation anxiety - and again, the choice to leave them alone, or not calm them when stressed, is a poor one on behalf of the owners.

    • [Deactivated] on 29/06/2023 - 09:36

      the old chestnut of some combination of the gubmn't and 'education' being able to solve all your problems

      Those things won't solve all problems, of course, but they are the sensible starting point for addressing a good deal of societal problems.

      If you want to criminalize dog ownership 'training' won't help. We know how well that works with gun ownership, for example.

      Not quite sure the point your making. But as it happens, a combination of heavy handed regulation/prohibition and mandatory training actually works very well in the case of gun violence. As Australians, we thankfully understand that very well.

      Chances are, if you have an issue with a dog the problem is the owner.

      This could go either way. There are certain breeds that are statistically shown to be problematic, and some are banned in Australia for good reason. As with guns, it's often the people who want such things the most who should be kept from having them.

      The world is full of scumbags.

      That's a dark view of the world. But if it's true, surely "gubmn't and 'education'" is our only long term hope of improving the situation?

  • morse on 29/06/2023 - 04:09
    +1

    Mandatory education and a license sound reasonable to me. Remembering that a lot of people with cognitive disabilities (dementia, brain injury, intellectual disability) might own a dog, a written test to pass like with driving would seem unreasonable. I don’t think people with cognitive disability are the ones with out of control dogs either, it’s usually arrogant, entitled or lazy people from my experience, it would be easy for these people to pass a test and not appropriately manage their dog. But an online education program and agreement upon licensing/registering the dog seems okay to me.

    A lot of what you mentioned already exists. Even the ‘license’ as pets need to be registered with council in most areas. The trouble is enforcing it as council officers can’t be everywhere to see everything. They certainly are present in my area and fine people for having dogs off leash in on leash areas. $1000 for a dog ‘scare’ seems subjective, but there are already rules around things like fence running and intimidating.

    You sound like you’ve had some bad experiences and it’s understandable that you’re fearful and upset. Please don’t be that person that starts poisoning dogs. If you encounter an aggressive dog in a public area, just make a report to council - if necessary take a photo. If they get a lot of reports for a particular area they can send council officers to monitor the area and issue fine to people not following the rules for the area.

    EDIT the education I speak of already exists, it would just be about making it mandatory. Eg https://www.rspcaqld.org.au/what-we-do/working-with-communit…
    https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Services/Animals-pets/Pet-e…

  • JIMB0 on 29/06/2023 - 07:13
    +7

    They should bring in a licencing system for driving a car. That way we could stamp out all the bad driving.

    • Stopback on 29/06/2023 - 08:58
      +1

      Dog cams aus

    • [Deactivated] on 29/06/2023 - 09:40
      +1

      What's the point you're making? That regulating a potentially dangerous activity is an imperfect solution and so we shouldn't bother?

  • 2jzzzz on 29/06/2023 - 07:33
    +12

    I'd start with a licence to have kids first.

  • Brian McGee on 29/06/2023 - 07:55
    +1

    Just ban them from Bunnings, as if they arent busy enough and loud enough without the wandering and barking matches with other dogs.

  • ForkSnorter on 29/06/2023 - 08:12
    -2

    There are too many dogs in Australia. I love dogs, but keeping a dog requires a lot of time and money and effort and responsibility.

    You only get one life. Don't you want to use it to create something amazing? To be the best you can be? To learn as much as you can?

    Or do you want to be sitting on a flea-infested couch patting your dog while staring at the TV, or wandering out in the backyard to yell at your dog to stop barking?

    My parents have an older dog (nearly blind, nearly deaf, very anxious), and I can see how it has really come to control their lives because they are rarely able to travel anywhere or do anything. They're constantly worrying about the dog. On the rare occasions that they go somewhere, they have to pay extra for a dodgy airbnb that allows dogs. Then they stay awake all night worrying about how the dog is adapting to the new environment, or showing it how to get outside when it needs to go to the toilet.

    I get sick of hearing dogs constantly barking in the neighbourhood, and I wonder, don't these people want to do something unique? Why are they all doing the same thing? Why do they all have dogs?

  • stickingly on 29/06/2023 - 08:35
    -1

    Too complicated. They should just introduce jail time for all those entitled dog owners who have dogs off lead in on lead areas and for not picking up dog crap in public places

    • Sinnerator on 29/06/2023 - 08:57
      -1

      and public floggings (not the good kind)

  • niyiaw on 29/06/2023 - 09:17
    +2

    How about just passing an IQ test for starters? That should weed out some of the idiots where the dog is smarter than the guy at the other end of the leash.

  • payless69 on 29/06/2023 - 09:19
    -1

    Please make a poll

    meanwhile let them poop wherever they want

    cleaning up is only for the rich

  • caboose on 29/06/2023 - 10:12

    I just want dog owners to pick up their dog's poop and chuck it in the bin themselves.

  • djsweet on 29/06/2023 - 10:43
    +2

    Do we really need a licence for everything? First drivers licenses, then gun licenses and now dog licences. Where will it end!

  • Sleeqb7 on 29/06/2023 - 11:37

    Frankly I'd be content if they just enforced the current dog related laws we have. In Brisbane City area dogs are not permitted off leash outside of private property or fenced dog parks.
    All too often some moron with an off leash dog steps infront of me travelling at speed on a public bikepath.

    "Oh sorry!"
    How about instead of sorry you follow the law? Your 3kg dog wouldn't like my 120kg mass at 20kmph.

  • Sammy2000 on 29/06/2023 - 14:45
    -1

    Wouldn't de-sexing pets be a better thing to push seeing as these people might be doing the right thing by re-homing all these unwanted animals, they might have behavioural problems that are causing op such distress.

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