Owning a dangerous or restricted breed dog in NSW just got more expensive, with owners of dogs who have been involved in attacks on people or other animals to be slugged almost $200 a year if they want to keep their animal.
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Under a new annual permit scheme, introduced from July 1, owners of dangerous dogs will face steepers fees and tougher penalties if their pets are not correctly registered.
This is designed to serve as a disincentive to owning high-risk dogs - which include the American pitbull terrier or Pitbull terrier, Japanese tosa, Argentinean fighting dog and Brazilian fighting dog - and encourage owners to better manage the behaviour of their animal.
The extra fees will also apply to any dog which has been declared dangerous or restricted by an authorised officer of a council.
Across the four Illawarra and Shoalhaven councils there were 422 recorded dog attacks in the most recent 12 month reporting period, which is down almost 20 per cent from the previous year (when there were 516 dog attacks).
However, in the same period there was a ten per cent increase in the number of serious attacks on people - where injuries needed medical treatment or hospitalisation.
Additionally, the latest statistics from the NSW Office of Local Government show 237 residents in the area were injured by dogs in the year to March 2020, and 330 animals were injured in attacks in the same time period.
Wollongong and Shoalhaven - both of which have a high number of registered dogs - both rank in the top 10 councils in the state for the number of dog attacks.
Also from July 1, cat owners who do not desex their pets will face steepers fees and tougher penalties.
Under the annual permit scheme, owners of cats not desexed by four months of age will be required to pay an $80 annual permit in addition to their one-off lifetime pet registration fee.
The governments says this will create a stronger incentive to desex cats, which in turn will improve their health and wellbeing, including reducing the risk of some cancers.
Improving desexing rates will also ease the burden on pounds and shelters, reduce euthanasia rates, and help to address concerns about feral, stray and roaming cats and their effect on wildlife.
"Desexing a cat before four months of age means that animal simply cannot breed and add to those populations that may be abandoned," the RSPCA's chief veterinarian Liz Arnott said.
"We definitely believe it to have great benefits for the welfare of wildlife and for ecological sustainability."
The money collected from annual permit fees will go directly to the Companion Animals Fund which pays for companion animal management by local councils including pounds/shelters, ranger services, dog recreation areas, and education and awareness programs.
TOP ATTACK BREEDS
In the last available reporting quarter, between January and March 2020, these breeds of dogs were responsible for the most attacks across NSW.
- American Staffordshire Terrier (168)
- Bull Terrier (Staffordshire) (119)
- Australian Cattle Dog (63)
- German Shepherd Dog (55)
- Mastiff (30)
- Siberian Husky (30)
- Border Collie (29)
- Rottweiler (29)
- American Staffordshire Terrier Breed (28)
- Bull Terrier (breed not identified) 25
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