NZ first are on to something with their bill for much harsher penalties for people who own dogs that attack someone, it happens far too often, and owners are far too casual about the damage a dog can do.
Also, good to see the same quotes you always hear after a dog attack. They’re such sweet dogs, this hasn’t happened before, they’re great with the baby, etc.
I’m sick of reading the same story every other year.
I honestly don’t think it would help. And you touched on why when you said:
These people don’t think their dogs are aggressive. So if they think their dogs would never attack anyone, would tougher penalties help?
I don’t know what the answer is here. Maybe look at the list of dog attacks (the thousands and thousands of them), pick the obvious top contenders, and ban breeding, ban importing, and mandatory desexing. Have tough penalties for those that break these rules, since they don’t require people to think of their dogs as vicious.
There might be holes in this plan I just made up on the spot, but it would lead to a dramatic drop in these types of dogs over the next 15 years or so.
Their dogs needed to be pepper sprayed before the police could enter the property, they knew the dogs were aggressive.