Dublin to ban GSD effective immideately! - Page 4

Hi there, ANVIL (Animals Need a Voice In Legislation) Ireland has been campaigning for responsible animal ownership and update animal protection legislation (our present animal protection act dates from 1911!!)

Ireland is not very animal friendly, we kill over 16,000 mainly healthy dogs in our dog pounds annually.  180,000 kittens within their first week of life, every year.  This is a country with a population of just over 4,000,000.   The ban introduced in Dublin applies only to council tenants so it is also discriminatory against one section of our society.

We already have 'restricted breeds' legislation, whereby the listed 11 breeds must be muzzled in public, kept on a short leash, have visible means of identification, and must be under control of a person over 16 who can control the animal.  The fact is, Dublin City Council do not adequately enforce the legislation already there which is evident from our figures http://www.anvilireland.ie/fulcrum.html?ep=80

We desperately need help.  If this ban is allowed to stand, if it is extended to public areas within Dublin, if it is extended nationwide, I have no doubt that other countries will follow suit.  This could be just the precedent they are waiting for.  If anyone knows how to get to the Irish lobby in the US, that might help, the more support we get, the more chance we have of overturning this for something more sensible. 

We have offered to consult with Dublin City Council on this, as have other groups, we have not been taken up on the offer to date.  Thanks for all the support to date and please keep the pressure up, we, and our animals really need your help

go raibh maith agat!!

Thanks guys for your support. Can anyone point me in the right direction? We need to know the main Irish/American groups in the USA so that we can get the situation to them and also any US politicians, or other prominent people who would be "Ireland' orientated - preferably with influence and clout ! ANVIL spokesperson Miriam Anderson has already met with the Dublin City Council spokesman on this issue, the Council are digging their heels and we need to lobby as much as possible. ANVIL has sought advice from our legal reps. and this is on going. However we are only a few people who physically can only do so much as we all hold down jobs ( in order to fund our rescue work) - so if anyone has contact details for the above please forward by e-mail either to infoATanvilireland.ie or to my own e-mail address on this message board. Irish GSD breeders and Irish breeders of the other "restricted breeds" on the ban list here in Ireland have not issued any statement, - this ban will affect them as well - it's not just going to affect tenants in public housing. I haven't had a single enquiry to adopt a rescue Shep since this ban came in. Another angle for correspondence is the Irish Tourist Board/ Enterprise Ireland. Dublin City Council are using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut - the dog warden service need to get out there and use the perfectly adequate existing legislation to deal with the minority of anti-social dog owners living in their properties - We have a copy of the leaflet DCC is sending to all their tenants and it clearly states the dog on the list are banned from all Council properties/estates - this means that no one will be able to walk their GSD (even muzzled) through a public park in the city and the Council also own all the footpaths (sidewalks) in the City - this will apply to ALL the "banned" breeds' owners no matter who they are, or where they live - public tenants or private property owners. Another important point is that apart from the specific breeds named, under the Control of Dogs Act - (Certain Restricted Breeds 1991) the legislation applies to x-breeds as well - e.g. GSDxany of the dogs listed , but also a restricted breed crossed with any other dog e.g. GSDx collie/ GSDxlab etc......................do the math, the implications for many 1000's of dogs is enormous. If this Council decsion is not rescinded and amended Dublin will be a "dog free zone" - we cannot let this happen - please keep giving us your support and keep this high on the agenda. If anyone can help co-ordinate correspondence in US/Europe please e-mail infoATanvilireland.ie - we have so much to do that we need help. If any of you have contact with Irish GSD breeders in Ireland please tell them to write to their public reps. - they need to lobby, There are wider issues here - for now, the target is the public housing tenants, to-morrow it could very well be a nationwide ban on all the restricted breeds listed - though that would require a Government legislation. This ban is not Governement legislation - it is a decision by 1 Council, not even a bye-law. Many thanks.