THEY’RE the human and canine faces of tough new laws designed to rid the community of savage animals.
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Either way you look at it, a dispute between Orange City Council and Ray Chamberlain, the owner of two-year-old Charlotte, is going to end in tears for someone.
Orange City Council rangers believe Charlotte is a restricted breed of pit bull while Mr Chamberlain maintains his canine companion is a Staffordshire bull terrier, a non-restricted breed.
The only way to end the stalemate is for Charlotte to undergo a breed assessment to determine her future.
If the animal is declared a restricted breed, safety laws require the owner to keep the dog permanently caged or alternatively, destroyed.
When asked if Charlotte had ever been aggressive towards other dogs or people, Mr Chamberlain issued a flat denial.
“No, never, she hasn’t been aggressive to anyone, she likes to play with other dogs, with people and she barks at people she feels are a threat to her property just like any other dog,” Mr Chamberlain said.
“It’s very upsetting, if she had ever done the wrong thing I could understand where council’s coming from but she hasn’t done anything wrong, it’s totally unfair.”
If the breed assessment declares Charlotte is a pit bull Mr Chamberlain said he would rather put the dog down than lock her in a cage for life.
If within 28 days Mr Chamberlain refuses to allow Charlotte to undergo the breed assessment Orange City Council has vowed to, among other measures, issue formal orders he build an enclosure for the dog.
Orange City Council communications and public relations manager Nick Redmond said Charlotte had been the cause of a disturbance in a nearby United Protestant Association retirement village and was a safety concern.
Mr Redmond made no apologies for taking action and said highly qualified council rangers were adamant Charlotte is a pit bull and therefore needs to be controlled under the law.
“These are declared restricted breeds for a reason and when one of these dogs attack someone the injuries are severe,” he said.