Chilean Senate to consider BSL

CHILEAN SENATE TO CONSIDER DANGEROUS DOG LAW

Chile’s Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved a measure to control dogs considered dangerous. Marco Antonio Núñez (PPD), president of the Chamber of Deputies’ Health Commission, called on senators to approve the bill quickly in order to avoid dog attacks like the one that killed a Chilean toddler last Thursday.

The 17-month-old Villa Alemana girl died after being attacked by her family’s dog, which her family kept to protect their home. The girl’s mother suffered serious injuries while trying to protect her daughter.

Núñez also asked Health Minister María Soledad Barría and President Bachelet’s Sectetary José Antonio Viera Gallo to ensure that the bill pass quickly through the Senate. The urgency of the matter, he said, stems from increased attacks by stray dogs and dogs belonging to dangerous breeds.

The bill proposes more rigorous control of 12 potentially dangerous breeds of dogs, among them Rottweilers and Dobermans. These breeds would need to be housed in solid enclosures and wear leashes and muzzles when in public. If a dog presented a direct safety risk, local police would be authorized to put the dog to sleep or place it with a caretaker. The bill also reinforces a current law that holds negligent owners responsible if their dogs injure or kill someone.