American Staffordshire Terrier Club of Vic

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***Media Release***

IRRESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP PRIMARY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN DOG ATTACKS

The tragic attack on a Sydney jogger by three dogs on Sunday highlights yet again that the primary contributing factor to dog attack incidents in the community is irresponsible ownership.

"Unfortunately when we look at the contributing factors in attacks like these, we see a consistent set of circumstances involving irresponsible ownership and poor socialisation. In this latest case we have three poorly socialised dogs that are running at large in the community and an owner with a recorded history of irresponsible ownership, having previously been fined for failing to register his dogs with the council", said Lincoln Hancock, President of the American Staffordshire Terrier Club of Victoria Inc.

"While the actual breed of the dogs involved is unclear at this stage, if we continue to focus on breed instead of focusing on responsible ownership, training, socialisation and ethical breeding practices, we will continue to see attacks such as this".

"Time and time again we see the same tragic scenario repeating itself. What we don't see is responsibly owned, socialised, and trained dogs biting people".

While the dogs are alleged to be American Staffordshire Terriers, at this point there is no concrete evidence, such as pedigree papers issued by the Australian National Kennel Council, to confirm that they were in fact pure bred American Staffordshire Terriers. Lincoln Hancock confirmed that the dogs appearance were inconsistent with pure bred American Staffordshire Terriers, a breed renowned for its stable temperament and predictable behaviour.

The American Staffordshire Terrier Club of Victoria support calls by the Australian Veterinary Association and other leading experts for a new approach to preventing dog attacks in the community.

"It's time we stopped focusing on the wrong end of the leash and got real about protecting the community. Despite breed based laws in place throughout Australia dog attacks continue to occur. Research here and abroad shows us it's not about breed but about owners. Only by turning our attention to responsible dog ownership will we see positive results", Mr Hancock said.

The thoughts of the American Staffordshire Terrier Club Inc are with the victim and his family and we wish him a speedy recovery.

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