Local councils in Victoria will be able to destroy unregistered pit bulls under new laws designed to rid the community of dangerous dogs.
The move follows the death of a four-year-old girl mauled by a pit bull mastiff.
The government will on Tuesday introduce the laws ending the amnesty on registering restricted dog breeds. The legislation will also make pit bull crosses a restricted breed.
Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh said the legislation is the first of several measures to eradicate restricted dog breeds, following the tragic death of four-year-old Ayen Chol, who was mauled to death by a neighbour's pit bull mastiff in her home two weeks ago at St Albans.
"The safety of the community is our first priority and we will be working closely with other parties in the parliament to ensure the swift passage of this legislation," he said in a statement.
Mr Walsh said people should not have to fear being attacked by a dog when they were walking down a street or their children were playing in the backyard.
The new laws will end the amnesty to register restricted breeds meaning any pit bulls not registered after August 29 can be destroyed.
A standard for identifying pit bull terriers will also be released to prevent dogs escaping because of uncertainty over their breed.
A dangerous dog hotline has also opened for people to report dogs they believe to be restricted.
Mr Walsh said the government wanted to remove dangerous dogs from the community and ensure dog owners were fully responsible for the actions of their animals.
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