WILLEMSTAD - Justice will take strong action against owners of dangerous dogs, such as Pitbulls, that cause harm to people or other animals. This could lead to criminal prosecution, says Minister of Justice Shalten Hato.
The Dangerous Dogs Ordinance was introduced after two dogs brutally killed a five-year-old child five years ago.
The law identifies Pitbulls as dangerous dogs due to their unpredictability, their capacity to be controlled by humans, and their behavior during attacks, where they clamp their jaws and shake their heads to inflict damage.
The law prohibits the further import of these dogs and mandates that they be microchipped, their homes securely enclosed, and they be sterilized.
According to Minister Hato, the law can be immediately enforced in situations that recently occurred. A Pitbull that severely bit three people and another case where a person was attacked by an aggressive dog. Following the Public Prosecution Service's instructions, the dog is euthanized in such cases. The police take action and remove the dog from the scene of the incident, after which the Public Prosecution Service orders the dog's euthanasia.
However, Minister Hato emphasizes that not all dogs are treated the same way as Pitbulls. In cases where a different type of dog bites someone, an investigation ensues. This investigation involves a report from an expert, and ultimately, a decision is made on whether the dog should be euthanized. The Public Prosecution Service doesn't order euthanization unless decided upon after assessment.
Options
The incident on Friday, August 11, was extremely unfortunate and shocking for the entire society, says Minister Hato.
The owner of the dog is liable, and there are two steps that can be taken. One is that the victim of the bite can sue the owner civilly to receive compensation for the suffered damages.
Another option is that the Public Prosecution Service can initiate a criminal case. In a criminal case, the victim who was bitten can participate to request compensation.
Regarding the lack of enforcement of the ordinance by the Hit Team until now, the minister says that while the police reorganization team existed, "now it is the VVC department that has taken on the task. And in cases where people are severely bitten, such matters are handled, and actions are taken under the supervision of the Public Prosecution Service."
Outdated
According to Hato, this does not mean that justice is doing nothing. However, he acknowledges that the law is outdated and that fines of up to 10,000 guilders are not sufficient to deter people.
The proactive aspect of police work takes place, and digital investigations are carried out, but these are not focused on the sale of dogs but rather on criminal activities such as threats and the like. For specific dogs that someone raises an alarm about, the police take immediate action.
There is also a public order ordinance that states that as the owner of an animal, you must ensure that the animal does not pose a danger to others. "If an animal poses a danger, the owner has a serious problem, and justice will take strong action," the minister said.
"In the case of last Friday," Hato said, "it's not that justice has been negligent in taking action because there is a clear policy on how to handle such cases, and the law was activated immediately when this incident occurred."
Furthermore, the minister provided an update on the neighborhood police project, which aims to strengthen communities, and one of the tasks includes the neighborhood scan project.
This provides insight into what is happening in the neighborhood, such as the number of residents, facilities like schools and community centers, the type of people living in the neighborhood, emerging problems, etc.
This analysis can indicate if there are many loose dogs. "This is just one aspect of what the neighborhood police project will address in order to provide solutions and bring peace to the neighborhood," Minister Shalten Hato concluded in his statement.