Cited (fined) for failing to walk your dog daily?

Pet owners who fail to walk their dogs daily face $2,700 fine in this Australian territory

By Maisy Mok, CNN
Updated 5:13 AM ET, Fri September 27, 2019



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Dog owners walk their pets (file photo).



(CNN)Dog owners could be fined up to $2,700 (AU$4,000) if they don't walk their pets at least once a day under new legislation recognizing animals as sentient beings in the Australian Capital Territory.

The Animal Welfare Legislation Amendment Bill, which became law on Thursday, imposes a range of strict penalties in a bid to improve animal welfare.
Owners can face heavy on-the-spot fines if they fail to provide basics like shelter, food and water. People who confine dogs for 24 hours must also allow them to move freely for the next two hours or face prosecution.
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Does my dog really need daily walks?


The territory is the first jurisdiction in Australia to recognize animal sentience.

"Modern animal welfare is about considering how an animal is coping both mentally and physically with the conditions in which it lives," ACT City Service Minister Chris Steel, who secured the bill, said in a media release.

hmm so how would they know if you did or did not?

Is the dog talking or are they gonna assign a person to each dog owner that will oversee that the dog is taken on a walk a least once a day? :rolleyes::rofl:

Is your dog is roaming freely in your backyard for 15 minutes several times a day does it count as walks? (because sometime they'll just do their business and just sit there for 14 out of 15 minutes?)

Got to love how they try to pass laws that are not enforceable, I guess legislators have nothing better to do ;)

Good. I don't know about them being sentient beings but if you are a dog owner, there should not even be a need of a law or regulation to tell you to walk your dog(s). Even if it is for 10-15 minutes intervals, 3-4 times a day. The number of dog owners I meet nowadays have become so lazy.

"I don't have time"... Well, make time, hire a dog walker or drop it off at a doggie daycare.

"My dog pulls too hard/difficult to walk/does not listen and runs off"... No dogs can walk on a leash without some training. Some are easy to teach than others. But all doable, and there are harnesses (ie front clip works AWESOME, head harness is very effective too), and collars (not prong collars. While they can work only if you use them properly or it makes your dog worse). Research the breed of dog before purchase/adoption will give you an idea how active, big, and stubborn they can be when they need to be walked and train. All doable but need commitment. There are trainers who can be hired and assist with the training and using the proper harness/collar. And obviously, don't let your dog off the leash if it does not have come back to you when you call for him.

"It is raining/too hot"... Get an umbrella. Put on your rain coat. Stay in the shade. Wait until the weather clears a bit if going outside is not option. But do not put down a pee pad and give up on walking your dog.

"My dog is too aggressive".... That may be true, but is it dog aggression or fear aggression? Most dogs are fear aggressive, especially when they lack socialization with other dogs as puppies. They learn that barking and acting mean = you will remove him away from that scary looking dog across the street or that dog moves away from him, therefore... Success! The behavior repeats and your dog did not learn how to cope with its insecurity around new dogs. I find dogs that are truly aggressive are less common than those who are insecure, and their body language and bark are different (ie stiff body, focused stare, quiet or bark with show of teeth and growl, tail up, etc). When in doubt, go to an experienced trainer who can help.

If you have a medical issue or cannot walk your dog due to health reasons, ask a friend or neighbor for help. Many local dog walkers will do it for $15 for a short walk. Again, a short 10 minute stroll is better than nothing.

Dropping off a dog who was not walked all day at a local dog park spells disaster. So many dog fights have happened because a dog who was not socialized properly (no dog manners), was locked at home for 8+ hours with little to nothing to do, young and full of energy, will mess with the wrong dog who will not tolerate that type of behavior, or another insecure dog who is stressed out as it is.

Walking an animal restraint with a 6 foot long leash is supposed to be unpleasant (at first). Get a cat or something else if you can't walk your dog.

All this comes from my own personal experience as well as having trained dogs at rescues and other places. I have a hyperactive, in your face friendly lab mix and a very insecure, fearful street dog who is a pit mix. I had been kicked out training class when I was learning with my lab, been pulled around like a rag doll, and my dogs have been attacked at dog parks and loose neighborhood dogs. I myself had been bitten at least twice during training someone else's dogs. In the end, walking your dogs-no matter how simple it seems-helps. So many owners nowadays would rely on pee pads or their small backyards and skip the walking. The dog needs stimulation. A walk around the block may seem repetitive to the human but not so for the dog.

If your dog is misbehaving, training the mind is half the work. Exercise is very important for their physical and mental wellbeing. They learn better, stays calmer, and just an overall better pet. Walking the dog also benefits the owner mentally and physically, and helps grow the bond between dog and owner.

Sorry, rant over. It makes me especially mad one of the top reasons people give up their dogs is because of behavioral issues, including but limited to leash pulling.

One of mine gets a long walk every evening and she fusses at me and my husband until we take her out after dinner.

The other is old, arthritic, and can barely stagger into the back yard to do his business before coming back inside despite being on several meds, but his appetite is still good and he hasn't told us that it's quite his time yet. We could try to walk him but I don't think he'd make it past the mailbox.

This is why I like reptiles. They could care less about being taken out so I don’t feel guilty if I’m busy. This law is just plain stupid though haha


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stewart_Reptiles

hmm so how would they know if you did or did not?

Is the dog talking or are they gonna assign a person to each dog owner that will oversee that the dog is taken on a walk a least once a day? :rolleyes::rofl:

Is your dog roaming freely in your backyard for 15 minutes several times a day count as walks? (because sometime they'll just do their business and just sit there for most of the time?)

Got to love how they try to pass laws that are not enforceable, I guess legislators have nothing better to do ;)

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I wondered the same things...do they have to punch in at the park on a time clock? :D

Don't get me wrong, I think their intentions are good...and maybe this is a city where back yards are rare, I just don't know. Dogs cooped up in apartments are not a
good thing...many dogs get destructive or become nuisance barkers when bored & under-exercised, & that's not good for anyone.

Just thought I'd share a different perspective from elsewhere, as many of us have more than just snakes. And as my dogs are getting old (one especially more than the other), I wondered about that too...what about the dogs that cannot physically walk that far? I have a nice back yard, & I like to walk my dogs when the weather permits, but I cannot take my dogs for walks all summer...it's just too hot for my bigger, oldest dog. I hope we hear more eventually, about how this worked out.

One reason some hesitate to walk their dogs is that where they live, they can be attacked by loose dogs that belong to neighbors. I have a friend who was
attacked by a pitbull that broke thru a screened window of a nearby house while walking her small dogs on a public sidewalk. So there's that too...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I wondered the same things...do they have to punch in at the park on a time clock? :D

Don't get me wrong, I think their intentions are good...and maybe this is a city where back yards are rare, I just don't know. Dogs cooped up in apartments are not a
good thing...many dogs get destructive or become nuisance barkers when bored & under-exercised, & that's not good for anyone.

Just thought I'd share a different perspective from elsewhere, as many of us have more than just snakes. And as my dogs are getting old (one especially more than the other), I wondered about that too...what about the dogs that cannot physically walk that far? I have a nice back yard, & I like to walk my dogs when the weather permits, but I cannot take my dogs for walks all summer...it's just too hot for my bigger, oldest dog. I hope we hear more eventually, about how this worked out.

One reason some hesitate to walk their dogs is that where they live, they can be attacked by loose dogs that belong to neighbors. I have a friend who was
attacked by a pitbull that broke thru a screened window of a nearby house while walking her small dogs on a public sidewalk. So there's that too...

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I think they mean well too however definitely not something realistic and it not a one fit all type deal either every dog is different some can and want to walk long walks some can't or some don't.

My dogs go out 4 to 6 times a day in our fenced yard, 1/2 acre out of 4 is fenced and the dogs are chihuahuas so they have room to do what they feel like but while one loves to explore the other one is like ok I am done now can we go home :rolleyes: if you wanted to go on a long walk with him he will walk 10 steps and bark at you until you pick him up. :rolleyes:

And who in their right mind would have a dog and not walk it? Unless you want a big pile of crap and pee puddles in your house of course.:rofl: