Trianer Of The Year Shut Down By Local Council

's leading greyhound trainer claims council dog-keeping laws are suffocating the industry and fleecing him of a second income.

Ron Brook, the 2008 local greyhound trainer of the year, has pleaded with Bundaberg Regional Council for uniform local laws after Burnett Shire regulations stripped him of his dogs.

Under Bundaberg City Council laws, residents are allowed up to three dogs, but greyhounds, registered with the state body, do not come under the three-dog limit.

The law allows owners to house as many greyhounds as they wish according to their property size.

In Brook's home in Moorlands, still governed by Burnett Shire Council local law, a home owner can only keep a maximum of three dogs, regardless of their breed.

Brook was found out by council after a noise complaint led to an on-property investigation in December where the trainer was caught with 13 greyhounds and two house dogs on his property.

The trainer and owner was forced to sell and give back almost all his greyhounds – the very dogs he claims earn him $600 to $700 a week.

The 55 year old said in-town trainers with smaller properties were favoured by the Bundaberg City Council and was smouldering after he was relegated to keeping three greyhounds despite living on 16,000sq m.

Brook admits he was in the wrong, but wants equal dog-keeping rights across the region.

“I want to see some sort of uniform rules,” he said.

“I'm quite happy to admit we had too many dogs, but my argument is if you're allowed it in Bundaberg, why not here.

“How come on 16,000sq m I can only have two dogs (with option of a third) and some one in Bundaberg on a residential area can have six.”

Bundaberg Regional Council manager of health and regulation services John Duffield said local laws originated in the four former councils were still active in those areas, allowing for the loophole.

“Unfortunately at this point in time we are running with four separate local laws,” he said.

“We would all choose to have one set of local laws.”

Burnett Shire Council, Bundaberg City Council, Isis Shire Council and Kolan Shire Council amalgamated in March last year.

Courtesy : Ben Bloomfield, NewsMail

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments