Government yesterday agreed to suggestions by PNM MP Colm Imbert to defer conclusion on legislation for control of dogs until both sides collaboratively worked out “loopholes” in the bill. The bill, which seeks to ensure responsible dog ownership management, carries large fines and jail terms for some offences. The bill specifically targets owners of the Pitbull, Japanese Tosa and Fila Brasilero—to be known as Class A dogs. A fine of $200,000 and ten years in jail will be the penalty for the owner of a pit bull or other dangerous dog which mauls a victim to death when the new Dogs Control Bill 2013 is approved by Parliament.
Imbert, speaking in yesterday’s Parliament debate on the bill, said several times he had no problem with this particular piece of legislation, “The pitbulls I’m familiar with—I don’t trust them,” Imbert added. He said the Opposition was totally supportive of the bill and was willing to work with Government to improve what he said were many loopholes and problems in it. He suggested Government hold off on further debate and on the committee stage of finalising the bill and further debate. Agreeing, House Leader Roodal Moonilal subsequently said the House would meet again Friday on the bill. Imbert, who lead the Opposition’s arguments on the bill, said aspects did not work and could have serious consequences for dog owners because certain conditions were not properly defined by the legal draftsmen.
He read out several reports of dog attacks in the UK—and one recent T&T case in which a Los Iros man was beaten by a dangerous dog owner—to illustrate his contentions. Some of the UK reports involved cases of attacks by dogs on people who had not provoked the dogs or with whom the dogs were familiar. He said the bill, as formulated, could also cause problems in T&T for a dangerous dog owner who invited someone they knew to their house and be attacked by the dog. Imbert also warned against allowing dangerous dogs to be in the hands of dangerous people, such as people with a criminal or violent background.
Imbert noted UK laws which were amended in the last couple years to ensure dog owners were fit and proper enough to keep dangerous dogs. There was immediate strong agreement with this by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan who said it was a worthy, interesting point and an amendment would be made to the bill to ensure this condition was met, such as by asking dog owners to have a certificate of good character from the police for instance. Imbert also said the bill needed to apply to dogs which were out of control not, simply “out of control in a public place,” as the bill stated. Imbert noted the recent case of Justice Minister Christlyn Moore’s Rottweillier which had attacked the police.