A SINGLE mother whose two pit bull terriers are crucial to the quality of life of her special needs son says she has been "devastated" by a proposed ban on dangerous dogs in houses and apartments owned by Dublin City Council.

As opposition to the ban mounted throughout the city, the woman, who asked to be described only as Lilian, spoke to the Sunday Tribune about the effect on her son of any attempt to remove the dogs from the family home. She did not wish to have her surname or address published as she is afraid that the council will come and confiscate her "two babies" under the controversial ban.

She explained: "I live alone here with my son and my two dogs, Sasha (4) and Molly (1). My son has special needs as he is blind, cannot walk and cannot talk. He loves the dogs as they come up to him and he pets them and rubs them down.

They lie down beside him.

"I look after my son here 24/7 so I cannot work and the dogs are great company for me. They are good therapy for me and my son. They are my babies and they sleep in my bed with me."

Lilian believes that pit bulls have been given a negative reputation by the media. "Bad owners make dogs dangerous, " she said.

"Dogs need to be socialised and cannot be left in a cage or kennel at the back of a house. These dogs are my hobby and they have done a lot for me so there is no way that I am going to allow them to be handed over to be slaughtered. I shouldn't be made feel like a criminal.

"I couldn't live with myself if I was to let the dogs be taken away from me to be killed. I am not sleeping at night worrying about what is going to happen to my dogs. I am torn apart about this.

If someone owns their own house outside a council estate, this law will not affect them but if someone lives in a city council estate the law applies to them so there is one law for people who can afford their house and another for everyone else."

Lilian's brother Tony, who has a two-year-old Staffordshire terrier and lives in city council flats, said, "We are willing to sign a contract as responsible owners to take responsibility for them and take the responsibility away from the council."

Miriam Anderson of ANVIL (Animals Need a Voice In Legislation) claimed: "The real reason Dublin City Council have introduced this new law is because of their failure to enforce the existing legislation."

In a statement issued last week, Jimmy Cahill of the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said: "A simple solution would be to require mandatory neutering, micro-chipping and guardianship registration for dogs placed on the list as well as the implementation of the Control of Dogs Act regulations on muzzling and leashes when in public places."

Around 100 dog owners attended a protest held by Dog Trainers Ireland outside the Civic Offices in Wood Quay, Dublin on Friday afternoon.

Posters with messages such as "Have a Heart", "Don't ban these dogs: enforce the laws" and "Enforcement not Extinction" emblazoned across them were held by the angry protestors.

Protestor Peter Wheatley said: "I think it is a disgrace that this ban applies to people living in corporation houses." Teresa Osbourne, who lives in a council flat, added: "Some dogs deserve to be put down but you cannot tar every dog of the same breed with the same brush."

Father and son David and Alex Denby said: "These laws are a complete overreaction. They are a blunt instrument to get rid of the problem.

A dog's behaviour has nothing to do with the breeds. Macho owners are the problem with a lot of these dogs."

Dublin City Council announced this weekend that it would issue notices to its tenants in the next week advising them of the council's policy on banned dog breeds. The council said it would continue with its plan to rid its flats, houses and estates of these animals.

A spokesperson for the council said it was hoped that tenants who own a dangerous dog would re-home the animal before the council requested them to do so.

THE BANNED BREEDS: DANGEROUS DOGS

English Bull Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
American Pit Bull Terrier
Rottweiler
German Shepherd (Alsatian, RIGHT)
Doberman
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Japanese Akita
Bull Mastiff
Japanese Tosa Bandog