REMARKS BY: THE MINISTER OF ENVIORNMENT, PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY The Hon. Marc A. Bean, JP, MP ON: Policy Changes Regarding the Importation of Dogs into Bermuda DECEMBER 29 th 2011 Good morning, Today I am here to make two announcements regarding the importation of dogs into Bermuda. 1
The first one I would like to address is the recent change in policy regarding the categorization of dogs something which I m sure will come as a welcome amendment for enthusiasts of various breeds of dogs on the island. Going forward, there will now exist three categories of dogs: Prohibited, Restricted and non-restricted. Today s announcement, on which I will expand fully in a moment, stems from the 2003 policy banning the importation and breeding of certain types of dog. The ban was implemented following a growing number of complaints regarding incidents of biting, injury and aggressive behavior by these breeds of dog, as well as increased incidents of cruelty to those breeds being reported. Additionally, the then Minister responsible for animal control at the time was receiving complaints of a similar nature from his constituents. 2
The pitbull terrier has been the source of a disproportionately large percentage of complaints, including those of injury, cruelty and dog fighting. The decision was then made to restrict issuing import and breeding permits for certain breeds of dogs - namely the pitbull terrier. The result was a list of breeds for which the Department of Environmental Protection would not issue permits unless a strong case could be made to the Minister by the applicant. The ban has had a positive effect as the number of incidents of biting and threatening behavior reported to us has declined between 2001 and 2009. However, it soon became apparent that this policy was impacting responsible dog owners as well as irresponsible owners. Subsequently, responsible owners requested that the policy be reviewed with a view to permitting law abiding owners, upon 3
review, to breed or import certain dogs. Their position was that, The innocent were paying for the sins of the guilty. Furthermore, despite the restrictive policy, illegal breeding was still occurring. In response, a Canine Advisory Committee was established in 2010. This Committee comprised of a former Dog Warden, Directors of The Bermuda Kennel Club, a veterinarian, dog trainers and previous breeders of restricted breeds, previous and current owners of restricted breeds, and representatives of the Animal Control Section of the Department of Environmental Protection. I would like to publically acknowledge and thank them now for all of their fine service to this community. The Canine Advisory Committee was tasked with the following: to evaluate the effectiveness of the restrictive policy on certain breeds of dogs in Bermuda; to review the effects the restrictions have had on certain dog owners; 4
and to review the possibility of lifting or modifying the restrictions on certain breeds while maintaining the safety of the public of Bermuda. As a result of their evaluation, the Committee recommended three categories of dogs: Prohibited, Restricted and non-restricted. Prohibited breeds would not be able to be bred or imported under any circumstances. Restricted breeds, however, would be able to be bred or imported if their owners meet certain conditions pertaining to their ability to maintain such a dog responsibly. This means that certain dogs that are currently prohibited would now be considered restricted. Dogs in the restricted breeds category are those believed to be at moderate-risk for causing injury. Furthermore, the Committee recommended that Government adopt the following conditions for the keeping of restricted breeds of dogs: That they should be kept in an escape-proof enclosure, the size of which would allow normal movements of the animal, but 5
should be no less than 60 square feet. Every gate of the enclosure, pen or fence must have a self-locking mechanism; That the dogs may not be tied on the property, and must be on a leash and under the control of a person capable of maintaining control of the animal when not in the approved containment area; And that anyone wishing to own a restricted breed must apply to have their property inspected to ensure that they meet the requirements prior to obtaining the subject dog. Additionally, it should be only under very exceptional conditions that anyone be granted permission to keep more than two dogs of a restricted breed and no one may breed a restricted-breed dog within a year of obtaining the dog. Dogs in the non-restricted breeds category are those believed to be at low-risk for causing injury to people or other animals. Dogs in the non-restricted category will have no change in their conditions for keeping, licensing or breeding. 6
The Ministry has accepted all of these recommendations and now will move towards implementation. I also want to state that no retroactive breeders permits will be issued. A Canine Advisory Committee will be maintained to act as the review board for any applications pertaining to the keeping or breeding of restricted breeds. The Committee will monitor the modification of the restricted policy closely and report on the performance of that policy to the Minister semi-annually for the next three years. It should be stressed that any dog may have the propensity to become a threat or be dangerous to the community if the keeper of that dog does not socialize or train them. The second announcement today is in response to the recent announcement by the Government of the United Kingdom that, effective January 1 st, 2012, it will invoke new regulations that will 7
bring its protocol for the importation of pets into line with that of the European Union. The new regulations will permit easier entry of dogs and cats into the UK from European Union Member States and EU-approved countries from around the world. This change has implications for Bermuda in terms of how we continue to view animals coming from the UK. The main concern for Bermuda at this time has been the extent to which these policy changes could potentially pose a greater risk of rabies being imported to Bermuda, which currently enjoys a rabies free status. The Agriculture (Control of Animal Diseases) Regulations 1947 recognizes the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica as being rabies-free because these jurisdictions fulfill the international criteria for that status, including policies to prevent the introduction of the rabies virus. 8
We currently receive approximately 200 animals per year from the United Kingdom. For us, the new protocol has caused government to consider whether less restriction on animals entering the UK from Europe could increase Bermuda s vulnerability to the entry of rabies. In weighing this risk against the effect of added import regulations, we have concluded that the risk is sufficiently low to enable Bermuda to continue accepting dogs and cats of any age from the United Kingdom without requiring any rabies vaccination, and to allow these animals to enter Bermuda as young as three months of age. Additionally, animals from rabies-infected areas will continue to require dual rabies vaccinations and do not qualify for entry before age ten months. Other requirements such as a certificate of health will also remain unchanged. Further details can be had by contacting the Department of Environmental Protection. Thank You. 9
Prohibited and Restricted Breeds Prohibited Breeds American Pit Bull Terrier American Bulldog American Staffordshire Terrier Argentine mastiff (Dogo Argentino) Boerboel Brazilian Mastiff (Fila) Cane Corso Presa Canario Neapolitan Mastiff Tosa Inu Wolf Wolf Hybrid Any Cross of the above Restricted Breeds Akita Australian Cattle Dog Belgian Malinois Bouvier Des Flandres Bull Terrier Bullmastiff Chow Chow Doberman Pinscher Dog De Bordeaux German Shepherd Mastiff English Rhodesian Ridgeback Rottweiler Staffordshire Bull Terrier Any Cross of the above 10