Translate

State Government plans to jail dog offenders

Queensland will consider jail penalties for people whose dangerous dogs injure or kill someone.

Attorney-General Paul Lucas says he will examine whether a specific jail provision is needed in the Animal Management and Care Act, which already has penalties of up to $30,000.

It comes after the Victorian government moved to introduce "Ayen's Law", imposing jail terms of up to 10 years for owners of killer dogs.

Advertisement: Story continues below
Four-year-old Ayen Chol was last month mauled to death by a pit bull cross, prompting the state's government to toughen up its dog control laws.

Mr Lucas said Queensland may follow.

"There's a really good reason to have a look at what they're doing in terms of the criminal law to see whether ours needs any adjusting," he told ABC Radio today.

"If people are so foolish, so unwise, so dangerous in their behaviour that someone could be injured ... if it's with a car or with a dog it's a similar point, isn't it really?

"If a child loses their life or ... is seriously injured because someone couldn't give two hoots about controlling their dog, I think that's a reasonable point in terms of criminal law."

www.BrisbaneTimes.com.au