The Age ; Stathi Paxinos; October 21, 2011
Veterinarian Karen Davies, with Sonny, a registered pit bull, dislikes breed-specific laws. Photo: Jason South
JUST days after the Victorian government ended its amnesty on unregistered restricted-breed dogs, Point Cook veterinarian Karen Davies did something that hurt her more than anything else in her career.
Her two decades as a vet has included a stint in the emotionally draining area of working with shelter animals.
But earlier this month, she put down a healthy and seemingly well-adjusted dog because of the way it looked.
Haunted by the experience, she posted an entry on her clinic’s Facebook page, which read in part:
”Today for the first time in 20 years I am questioning if I still want to do this job. My staff and I are all in tears after having to put down our first pit bull under the new legislation.
”He had been dumped, by an owner who had put in the time for this magnificent dog to be friendly to all, shake hands and worse still licked my face with kisses as he passed … to the unknown dog that now sleeps in the arms of my staff with our tears, may life make you look different next time because in this life that was your only flaw.”
The comments were picked up online and posted on online discussion groups and Dr Davies has now been propelled into the front line of those fighting breed-specific legislation at rallies in Melbourne and Sydney tomorrow.
She will be a speaker at the rally that will start at Federation Square and march to Parliament House to protest against the method of the crackdown on restricted breeds.
Council officers are now able to use visual guidelines to seize and possibly put down a dog that looks like an American pit bull terrier or a cross if it has not been registered as a restricted breed.
This has led to people dumping dogs on the street or at veterinary clinics, rather than complying with the requirements.
”Putting to sleep a perfectly healthy animal that would fit into any happy home for no reason other than he had a label on him because of his looks was dreadful,” she said.
Dr Davies and rally organisers believe that dangerous dogs of any breed should be destroyed.
But they point to countries, such as the Netherlands and Italy, which have repealed breed-specific legislation, to argue that the current approach does not reduce dog attacks.
In Victoria there are five types of dogs classified as restricted breeds, but dog trainer Brad Griggs, who has helped organise the Melbourne rally, said there was no science to back such policies.
Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh said yesterday the government had been pleased with the way the regulations had been received, helping raise awareness in the community.
”My view is there has been overwhelming support for what we’ve done with the restricted-breed dogs,” he said.
”People want to feel safe in their community from those particular types of dogs, and we have done that.”
He was not able to provide the number of dogs that had been surrendered, impounded or destroyed, or how many were subject to an appeal. ”It would be a number of weeks before the first lot of statistics come through,” he said.
The Lost Dogs Home’s managing director, Graeme Smith, said he ”fully supports” the government’s move.
”I’m not going to stand by and see dogs kill other animals or people,” Dr Smith said.
”I’m strong on it, and I won’t [kowtow to] people who are trying to wreck the government’s initiatives.”
Original article here
Companionanimalnews 
There are two documents that anyone interested in the negative impact of Breed Specific Legislation should read. Please download:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15878506/BSL/Dogs%20Trust%20UK_DDA%20Briefing%20June%2011.pdf This is a document by the Dogs Trust UK (Britain’s largest Animal Welfare Charity)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15878506/BSL/WhenDogsBite.pdf By a respected author on Pitt Bulls
With the Deepest of Respect BSL is not debatable,it is an Evil an Heinous law created by Adolph Hitler and his neo -Nazis to rid the world of Jews and various other Nationalities.
It did not work then and it will not work now,I just hope that these Politicos one day do get Criminally charged.
It is a shame for these dogs to be put down simply because they are in the pit bull family. The general population of people are ignorant and choose not to learn or understand or be responsible for their actions in the this area. It is the dangerous dogs that should be euthanized, not just because a dog “looks” like it is means that it is. Back to the basic, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. I’ve know many pit bull owners who have never once had a problem with their dogs. It all comes back to how an animal is raised….hmmm does this sound familiar to it comes back to how a human, animal, etc is raised as to how it will act or respond as it grows older. I’m sorry you had to do this because of stupidity and ignorance to “special” puppy to me.
So if a coucil worker see’s a dog whom they deem to be part of/or a pit bull they have the ability to authorize it’s death sentence? WHAT A CROCK! It’s a sad sad day… Perhaps we should do the same to politicians who have absolutly nothing to back up this argument.
Like many people, i have met many a pit bull, and not once have i met a pit bull with a pre disposition to fight/bite/attack unless u class being licked to death… Because as you know that is such a horrible thing.
It is ignorance on the part of the government and public alike if they think they can justify putting a) restrictions on “dangerous breeds” (because the coucil deem them to be a dangerous breed b) allowing the coucil to, on even look alone, euthanaze a dog.
Dangerous dogs who attack/maul/kill people/animals yes, euthinaze those dogs… But not because of the breed and what they look like.
If politicians were judged by their ability,most would be Euthanised,but in our inability to get such a law passed,the solution must be,to remove these murderous incompetents from power.VOTE THEM OUT.
I find it a hard pill to swallow that a Vet would carry out such an order,all I can say is HITLER LIVES.
Stop being little bitches… Ah no a scary dog. Where do u get cornered, ever, by one of these so called dangerous breeds?? Get a life pussys, it will be the owners fault if anything happens. The same as drivers are responsible for there vehicle and a pilot being responsible for his plane. Any mistakes = human neglegence