Canine chaos hits town Dogs (and owners) give 100pc

It was mayhem up the mountain yesterday as canine chaos descended on Coronet Peak for the annual Speight's Dog Derby.

As 60 dogs and their owners came hurtling down from the top of the M1 chairlift for the Lindauer Winter Festival highlight, some stragglers still carried a can of Speights.
Those at the front slid most of the way with dogs in tow.

At the bottom, the melee of excited barking dogs, shouting owners and shrill whistles had the crowd in stitches. Although most were working dogs, a few "townie" dogs stood out, unused to such a crowd of new friends. Mark Wilson, aka The Caped Crusader, was a flash of red with Jose, a short-legged dog with a cap to match his master's outfit.

The challenge for skiiers and boarders after the event was to avoid the brown piles of doggy-doo that littered the area.

Chip only for dangerous dogs: ICC

The Invercargill City Council plans to thumb its nose at the new dog microchipping law, which one directorate boss has described as a "mongrel".

Environmental and planning services committee chairman Darren Ludlow said yesterday his committee believed the council should target only dangerous and menacing dogs for chipping.
That means owners of pet dogs and newly registered puppies would not get into trouble for failing to chip their animals, even though the law says they must.

"We don't care," Cr Ludlow said. GOOD !

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Owner of dogs wants to send message to public

Rotorua man whose three dogs attacked two toddlers and a teacher is suffering deep remorse over the February incident near the Tauranga-Whakatane turnoff.

And he wants to send a message to all dog owners at keeping dogs unrestrained on private property. (...)

Mr Taiatini cannot explain the attack, but admitted his dogs did run unrestrained around his home. The dogs were domesticated, had been fed and exercised regularly and were friendly, giving no prior hint before the attack they posed a danger to society. (...)

His dogs had always been loose on his property, as he lived in a rural environment. They were house-bound pets and not used for hunting. "They lived close to the lake, that was their area, and there are a lot of big paddocks there."

Mr Taiatini has not owned a dog since the attacks, and said he wanted to alert other dog owners about the danger they posed to the community.

"I would like to put out a warning to owners to make sure their dogs are either chained up or caged; I hope the public learn from it as I have learned a lesson myself," he said. Who the hell is he to pass judgement on how other dog owners treat and train their dogs. NO, dogs aren't a menace to society, it's the owners. HE needs to be restrained, and if he would have had dog training, his dogs would have been better behaved, and he would have KNOWN his dogs "were going that way."

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Farmers vow to fight on against all dog chipping

"A victory for common sense" has been the local cry since the dog microchipping law was passed on June 21, exempting working dogs.
Elstow-Waihou Federated Farmers president Stuart King said the ruling was pleasing, but all dogs should be exempt. MORE>>

Dog officer disappointed with new law

Farmers should be the last ones to celebrate working dogs' exemption from controversial microchipping laws, Kaikoura dog control officer Murray Devine says.

"When you think about farmers and the problems they have with dogs on their properties, attacking stock, microchipping would have enabled identification of the offending dogs straight away," Mr Devine said.

Because losing sheep equated to losing money, he believed farmers would have benefited from microchipping. A chip would allow a connection to the dog owner and a chance to recover the loss. The exemption was a "sad" decision for Kaikoura, Mr Devine said. "From my point of view they may as well throw the whole thing away."

He said that in Kaikoura a high number of working dogs ended up in the pound and remained unclaimed, eventually being destroyed or relocated. MORE>>

Pet dog bitten on leg

A Kaikoura woman is concerned that a dangerous dog is at large. Kerri Morehu-Baker cowered against the gates of the Kaikoura cemetery reserve to protect her pet husky during an unprovoked attack last Tuesday.

She was walking 19-month-old Ruby across the corner of the reserve from Killarney St to Scarborough St when the black dog, which she believed was a pitbull cross, came hurtling towards her. The dog was in "hunting mode", she said. It stopped and crouched before it attacked, taking a chunk out of Ruby's right leg.

Moments before, the owner yelled "pick up your dog!" In those split seconds she heaved the 26kg husky into her arms and cowered against the gates. MORE>>

Skating goes to the dogs

Poto is the coolest dog in town. The two-year-old black staffordshire-bulldog cross just loves riding around Nelson's Rutherford Park skatepark in the afternoon sunshine.
Poto's owner, Piripi Smith, has come from Tauranga to Nelson to work during the hoki season.
He says Poto is the keenest dog he knows.

When he pushes his skateboard, technically a longboard, down the sloping concrete of the skatepark, Poto, with her sloppy tongue hanging out, jumps on it.
The dog gathers speed using her free paw to push along the ground. Now and then, she stops to chew on the wheel then carries the skateboard back to her owner for another go. MORE>>

Farm dog definition a bone of contention

Local councils say they have been kept in the dark during Parliament's debate on dog microchipping. (...)

"If you register your six huntaways and one corgi as working dogs, it will raise an eyebrow," Mr McHardy said.

As far as enforcement goes, he says people may try to pass off pets as working farm dogs.
"There's always going to be a grey area, it is going to come down to the honesty of the owner." So why would an incompetent dog owner be honest?

To read the in-between bits>>

SPCA reports dumping over chipping

The new dog microchipping law is being blamed for record numbers of puppies being dumped at the Auckland SPCA. Chief executive Bob Kerridge says many dog owners wrongly think microchips are an expensive hassle so are choosing to ditch their pets. Isn't that SAD ! ?

Kerridge says this makes him angry as microchips help missing dogs get reunited with their owners and only cost about $10. Where does he get that price from?

He says the SPCA is already bursting at the seams with puppies and some will have to be put down.Kerridge believes the authorities need to educate dog owners about the benefits of microchipping.

Microchip law a toothless dog

Associate Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta put on a brave face last week when she accepted that Government's dog microchipping law had been chewed off at the knees. (...) the in-between bits

Dog owners would be far more likely to accept a law that required them to file their dogs' teeth if they seriously thought that this measure, no matter how far fetched it may seem, would make their animals safer. Oh, I like this !!
But microchips can never stop dogs from biting people, and this is why this law is so unpopular.

Government has shown, by its insistence with pursuing this law, that it has very little regard for the views of the public, both rural communities and those in the cities. Funny how laws are made into laws. And when a member of the public asks why we should question something, and the person says "because it's against the law"... think twice!! Remember how laws were made. Laws can be BAD LAWS! Those who know me would understand this statement!!

With many people likely to ignore the law and many local governments refusing to enforce it, this piece of legislation is a toothless old dog that should be put out of its misery before it suffers any longer. Nah, the governemtn wouldn't do that. They'll pump millions into enforcing this law ... if only we can save but ONE child !! so the saying goes. That's how they get their way. Heart Strings being pulled.

Let's rather spend the money that would be wasted on microchips on educating dog owners. A well-trained dog owner is much less of a menace to society than an untrained one with a microchipped dog. BINGO!

Stabbed police dog on road to recovery

Oolice dog Edge is on the road to recovery after being stabbed in rural Hawke's Bay.
Edge was stabbed twice in the chest when he was sent to subdue a fugitive who was stabbing himself with a knife at Maraekakaho, 30km west of Hastings on June 6. MORE>>

Man and puppy die in sleep-out blaze

A 42-year-old South Auckland man died early yesterday when the garage he was sleeping in with his dog and three newborn puppies caught fire.

The man was using his aunt's garage in Flat Bush, Manukau, as a sleep-out while he took care of his dog and her litter. One puppy died in the fire and the others are now in the SPCA's care. MORE>>

Working dog definition leads to confusion

With the amendment passed to exempt working dogs from the Government's microchipping law, confusion is mounting on the definition of a working dog. Every dog that is loved and a companion in a home is working... therapy dogs they are called. A study found that animals can lower the blood pressure of people, and decrease stress levels. I call my dog a "kush ball". of course, this only applies to those dogs that sleep near the owners, not the tie 'em outside and 'shut up' dogs. Not their fault they bark all night... I'd be a bit stressed too, and lonely.

National Party agriculture spokesman David Carter, whose amendment it was, said it was passed with the definition of a working dog as stated in section 2 of The Dog Control Act 1996.
However, Southland District Council group manager of regulatory services Lindsay McKenzie said that he had received an e-mail from the Internal Affairs Department stating that the working dogs as defined in the act were in fact not the dogs being exempt from the law.

"The amendments relate to the exception for microchipping of working dogs kept solely or principally for the purposes of herding and driving stock," Mr McKenzie said.

"If that's correct then the other dogs as defined in the Dog Control Act are not exempt from microchipping."

Mr Carter said there were "different views as to the interpretation of a working dog".

Originally, Mr McKenzie's view was that the Government had empowered the council to classify any dog or class of dog to be considered a working dog, by the means of a resolution as stated in the act. Oh boy, here goes dog owners to court!!

An example of this would be that local authorities would have the power to classify a pet dog as a working dog but it was unknown whether this would still exempt the animal from the microchipping law, Mr McKenzie said.

When it came to enforcing the law, it was likely the high priority for the Southland District Council would be to microchip dogs classified as dangerous or menacing. If ya can catch them!

However, Mr McKenzie believed the present laws in controlling dangerous and menacing dogs were sufficient for council. So why microchip?! I heard the debate on TV when Parliament was debating. WHAT A FARCE! all it was was name calling and using doggie words in a silly way. And we pay them for what?! debate issues ?? ya gotta be joking!

"Microchipping was a knee-jerk reaction to problems in Auckland," he said.

Mr McKenzie said he would be presenting a report to a council meeting in July for council staff to consider the implications of the amendment and have a better understanding of it. Mr Carter said because it was up to local authorities to decide what a working dog was, "the Government's got themselves into one hell of a mess".

Police Dogs and the Number of bites...

Dog bites reflect social change 25/06/2006

The Police Association says the number of people being bitten by police dogs reflects the number of violent incidents police are attending. About 600 people are receiving bites from police dogs each year.

Information obtained by our newsroom under the Official Information Act shows more than 600 people have suffered bites during arrests in the past year. Figures from July through to April show police dogs were called to more than 26,000 incidents, in which more than 3,000 people were apprehended. Of those people, 603 were treated after being bitten by dogs.

That number is way too high. A good dog handler knows the rules. I've seen the way police dogs are MIS-handled, and I wonder how they actually train their handlers to train their dogs. It's a bloody disgrace to see a handler jerk the lead of a police dog so high that the dog is wanting for air because his feet aren't touching the ground!

The previous year 651 people were bitten and in the 2002-2003 year nearly 700 people were treated for dog bite injuries. Police say there are strict rules for the use of police dogs and each handler must be satisfied the use of force is justified and unless not practical to do so, they must call on the offender to desist. Hey?! They say in every incident where someone is bitten a report must be submitted, and treatment must be provided.

Mr O'Connor says each of the dog bites is investigated. He says since the advent of 'P' there has been a lot more violence, and police dogs and their handlers are just doing what needs to be done to apprehend offenders. Don't blame P (meths for those who live overseas... ), and don't make excuses. Meths is a diet pill and when I took diets pills (legally) in Canada as a teenagers, all they did was give me energy. I don't beleive a word the cops say about P ! And besides if it weren't for the profit people make from the drug, they wouldn't be making it. So take the profit out of drugs! Guess how...?

The Greens are even more concerned about the introduction of taser stun guns, after the release of figures for police dog bites. Green MP Keith Locke says he is concerned at the frequency with which pepper spray and dogs are being used by police, and sees nothing to suggest tasers would be any different. Be very concerned! To be a cop in New Zealand, one only needs to finish high school. No life experience necessary. So who do they recruit? Young punks who were the bullies in schools. Now they have the law on their side!

The National Party has no problem with the numbers of people being bitten so long as the bites are justified. And the vicious circle begins! The Party's Law and Order spokesman Simon Power says it was a higher number than he expected. Mr Power says the government needs to be in a position to assure the public that each of the incidents involving dogs was warranted and the dogs have not been used recklessly.

Police Minister Annette King has declined to comment on the figures.

National relaxed about bites ANOTHER ARTICLE

Retiring dog control officer in support of microchipping

Long-time dog control officer Basil Amyes says microchipping of dogs has its benefits.
The recently retired Timaru District Council Dog control officer said anyone who had a dog should consider it as a means of identification and he microchipped his own dog at a vet clinic recently.

However, Mr Amyes said he thought the dog control act was a knee-jerk reaction to a series of serious attacks on children. "It got completely out of hand. "The act turned dog control into a people problem rather than a dog problem."
The identification of dangerous dog breeds was also an issue, Mr Amyes said and he thought a more realistic approach was needed. MORE>>

Microchip law a howling shame

This is a good overview of what has happened... well done.

The vote on the dog microchipping law that has ended up exempting farm working dogs was marked by farce, with some Green MPs springing a last-minute surprise – including on party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons – and supporting the National Party proposal, The Dominion Post writes in an editorial.

That is fitting. The legislation was already flawed, and the exemption has now made it a joke. It was driven by the Government's need to be seen to be doing something after the 2003 attack on Auckland schoolgirl Carolina Anderson, in which an American Staffordshire terrier left her with half her face ripped off and needing plastic surgery. Carolina's father was justifiably angry and campaigned for the Government to toughen up the laws – though microchipping was not part of his campaign. Did he actually think about that?? He was just angry, but the laws were already there in place. Nothing more needed to happen.

It is too easy to forget that the dog which attacked Carolina was eventually found, destroyed and its owners briefly jailed. In short, the existing system worked and delivered the culprits. Excellent!

The Government had to show that it was treating the issue seriously, however, and introduced a raft of measures including a proposal that all dogs registered after July 1 be microchipped. That, then local government minister Chris Carter argued, would help ensure that if a child was attacked, it would be possible to identify the person who owned the dog and who should have been controlling it.

It does not take much thought to reveal the flaws in such an approach. There are 500,000 dogs registered in New Zealand – and another 200,000 that are not. The Veterinary Association says somewhere between 30 and 40 per cent of dog owners are already breaking the law by not registering their animals. It is difficult to believe that they will suddenly have a change of heart and pay the $50-$110 it will cost to microchip their previously unregistered animals.

What was unworkable when it was applied to all dogs has been made even more so by the division between farm working and other dogs. Inevitably, there will be a blurring between true working dogs and dogs which could be defined as such. The Veterinary Association, which opposed exemptions, says many farmers have registered their Labrador retrievers and Jack Russell terriers as working dogs.

The registrations are no doubt legitimate, but it is hard to see why the Lab curled up in front of a fire in Karori should be microchipped while the one who tucks down in a farm house kitchen in the Manawatu should not. In a further complication, there will be no national process for deciding whether a dog is a legitimate farm working dog. Instead, the Government's plan is to leave it to individual councils. The result will be an unworkable farrago.

AdvertisementAdvertisementThat is what the Government needs to recognise, and it should admit it was driven by political correctness rather than common sense. For dog control measures to work, the vast majority of dog owners need to buy in to them, to regard them as fair and equitable, and to believe them likely to deliver a meaningful benefit.

Microchipping fails that test, and fails it badly. The likely outcome will be low compliance and a justified sense of resentment by those who follow the letter of the law. The Government should recognise that, tuck its tail between its legs and abandon the scheme. MORE>>

Reactions from the microchip law

Dog owners vow to flout chipping law 23 June 2006

Confusion, howls of protest and determination to flout microchipping regulations have emerged after a last-minute exemption for working farm dogs.
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Councils mull changes to dog control law 23 June 2006
South Canterbury district councils are still unsure how they are going to deal with the fine print of the amendments to the dog microchipping law. Changes to the law have seen working and service dogs exempt and given local councils the power to exempt any dog they wish.

Timaru District Council regulatory services manager Peter Thompson said the amendments to the law have not made the job of dog control any easier. "An all or nothing approach would have been preferred." MORE>>

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Greens bare their teeth to Labour 23 June 2006

An 11th-hour defeat on dog microchipping is shaping up as a Green Party warning shot across Labour's bows. (...)
Prime Minister Helen Clark said she was disappointed after earlier assurances from the Greens.
But the Green Party has hit back, saying there is nothing in their co-operation agreement with Labour that obliged them to show their hand early on the microchipping law.

It points to a harder line from the Greens, shunned as a coalition partner after the past two elections.
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A new law that bit the Govt 23 June 2006
New Zealand's farm lobby is clearly doing something right. Its latest victory came on Wednesday evening when Parliament voted to exempt working dogs from controversial new microchipping laws.
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Editorial: Law a dog's breakfast 23 June 2006
Wednesday night's vote on dog microchipping shows just what an ass the legislation is. The Green Party MPs who voted to exempt working dogs did so not with that aim, but to make microchipping as a whole unworkable. What ridiculous lawmaking is that?

DOGS LOOK FOR WORK

The number of dogs seeking work has risen sharply following the passing of legislation which makes micro-chipping of dogs compulsory except in cases where they are working.

From first light this morning local farmers reported stray dogs turning up to help with mustering and a Moenui woman who is blind told the Herald that she has been overwhelmed by offers of help.

“Everytime I step outside there’s a huntaway bringing me yet another unwanted copy of the Herald or a border-collie trying to drag me off to catch the bus.”

Moenui dairy farmer Ossie MacDonald said that the three extra dogs at milking this morning created chaos. “ MORE>> (great spiff!!, great read!!)

Fight not over yet, Fed farmers say

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3708616a3600,00.htmlWorking farm dogs won't be microchipped, but it's "silly" that other dogs will be, says Federated Farmers president Charlie Pedersen. The fight for urban dog owners isn't over, he said.

An amendment to dog control legislation was last night passed in Parliament by 61 votes to 60, after four Green MPs made a shock decision to support National, ACT, the Maori Party and United Future in exempting farm dogs from microchipping.

"We are very pleased, obviously, that our dogs are exempted, but we originally set out to get all dogs exempted," Mr Pedersen said.

"Microchipping was never an answer to dog attacks." He said dog control officers need to be given greater powers to enter properties, seize and destroy dogs.

"As an organisation we (Federated Farmers) will lobby for our urban friends and for changes to dog regulation," he said.

"We had elderly women rolling up to our protests (against microchipping) with their chihuahuas. Poodles are no more likely to attack than domestic cats."

Mr Pedersen said he had even heard of moves toward microchipping cats, though he couldn't imagine what for. Well then, I think that I will need to have a word with Mr Pedersen...

He said there was a "level of bravery" shown by the four Green MPs - Keith Locke, Nandor Tanczos, Sue Bradford and Sue Kedgley - who voted against the Government. The Greens wanted microchipping scrapped, except for the most dangerous dogs. Yes well... I'm not sure how to 'think' about the Greens. They said they had a policy and they didn't stick to it. I just wonder about other policies and how much they actually are voting in the house to get votes out of the house.

Mr Tanczos said no one provided evidence that microchipping would prevent dog attacks and the Green MPs who changed tack did so for tactical reasons. "It's better to have an exemption for working (farm) dogs than no exemption at all." This sounds like their policy on cannabis. Well if we can't legalise it, well then, we'll allow them to issue tickets like fines. They miss the whole point of the whole debate!

Mr Tanczos said he tried to understand United Future's rationale for supporting the exemption for farm dogs only, but he couldn't figure it out. Because Nandor, he hates the Greens no matter what policy they put forward. He (or they) did it just to spite ya!

"The reality is that it will make the whole scheme unworkable. I think it will be very difficult to administer now, and that's good because it was bad legislation," he said.

"The attempt by Labour to play the small parties off against each other was ill-conceived and the Government has been embarrassed.

"It's actually bitten them."

However, Manawatu-Rangitikei Federated Farmers president Ruth Rainey said the Government has been saved from a lot of embarrassment as there would have been a significant non-compliance from day one.

"There would have been trouble down the track," she said. There still will be...

"A lot of the councils weren't a bit keen." except for those councils who have a strong Labour support

Mrs Rainey was heartened by how the Green MPs voted, saying they "appear to think about things more". Oh, piss off!

National's Rangitikei MP Simon Power said the result was an "extremely big defeat for the Government".

"Certainly, the surprise is more on the Government's side than ours."

Green party whip Metiria Turei, who along with co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons voted against the amendment, said the vote was a bittersweet victory for farmers.

"It's a terrible loss for the rest of New Zealand's dog owners. I'm very disappointed the rest of the country will pay for this technology. Yup, me too!
"Labour should really have understood the depth of feeling (against microchipping)." Ah, but they don't care what the people think... they have one thing in mind and they go for it.

Ms Turei said the issue won't cause division within the party. "We don't whip in quite the same way other parties do." She knew that some of the MPs would vote for the amendment, but didn't realise four of them would. Gee, don't ya talk to your party members?

"I'm not happy with the decision my MPs have made. Talk about a Greens embarrasement!!
"There's no justification for why grandma's poodle has to be microchipped but grandad's border collie does not. Neither of them should be." What's this with Grandma and Grandpa ?! Old people's dogs can be just as dangerous. Lots get Jack Russels which are yappie can be quite snarly. Of course, this is a generalisation, and we wouldn't want to do that!

If local government reform legislation passes its third reading in Parliament as expected today, microchipping of urban dogs will take effect from July 1. Urban dogs... great name for a website!

Death-row dog 'in demand'

One of the two dogs on death row following a court order on Tuesday was a sought-after stud dog used by breeders throughout New Zealand and overseas.

The order for destruction on Cliff Baker's 7-year-old Alaskan malamute husky dogs Khan and Tishka was made after they attacked a smaller Siberian husky in their street in Queenstown in January.

Mr Baker said he had used both dogs to breed 14 pups worth between $1200 and $1500 each.
Kahn was sent around the country frequently and was in demand as one of the breed's most valuable stud dogs, he said.

"The pups were sent all around New Zealand and to South Africa," he said.

Mr Baker said that both Khan and Tishka were micro-chipped when they were puppies. Read that AGAIN !! these puppies that were microchipped ATTACKED!!
"It's was safety measure because it's quite common for these dogs to get stolen."
Now that's a fairer reason to get dogs 'chipped.. esp those that all look the same!

Mr Baker rehomed the dogs with a dog breeder in Invercargill following the incident, but was issued with a summons from CivicCorp with an order to destroy the dogs. Stupid, stupid, stupid.What a waste of money!

Even though he was "really gutted" he said he was resigned to the fact he could not change anything.

Dog breeder unimpressed

Manawatu dog breeder Helen Upson says she feels as strongly as farmers do against microchipping dogs. "Microchipping is just a total waste of time," she said.

"It's not going to stop vicious dogs from going out and biting somebody or another dog."
Mrs Upson, who owns Hanshi Kennels, near Palmerston North, is unimpressed that Parliament last night voted to exempt working farm dogs from microchipping measures.
"That's great for them, but a lot of breeders who have complete control of their animals should also be exempted. Not just breeders!! sheese, they are really into a world of their own, hein?

"It's not a big cost for one person with one dog, but breeding becomes very, very expensive."
The german shepherds Mrs Upson breeds are tattooed and put on a database, which she says is a much safer method. "There's no advantage for me to have them microchipped as well."

Mrs Upson suspects politicians who don't own dogs went out of their way to try to be "heroes" after dog attacks on children. Yup... that's about right, but heroes will only be those people who teach and educate our children about dogs... the true heroes, unsung.

"Give me a break - those dogs are not going to be registered anyway," she said. "Most of the dogs that attack are owned by people who want them to fight and train them for it."

Mrs Upson's daughter Aimee, who attended the Crufts dog show this year, said microchips can move around within animals and cause them problems. "It's a foreign body that's not supposed to be there." Aimee said microchipping will provoke bickering within the dog-owning fraternity. hum... not sure why.. they bicker anyways!
She said some people buy dogs for the wrong reasons.

The Dog Tax! what silicon said

Greens' vote spares farm dogs 22 June 2006

The Government has accepted an embarrassing defeat after a split in the Greens handed farmers and National an eleventh-hour victory on dog microchipping.

In a surprise move, four of the Greens' six MPs joined ranks with National to exempt working farm dogs from the plan, which takes effect from next month.

The vote came after the Greens had insisted they would not vote for any exemptions unless all dogs except dangerous and menacing ones were exempt.

Associate Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta – who has resisted calls to exempt any dogs from the 2003 microchipping law – said the Government accepted the loss.
"While we believe this reduces the effectiveness of the measure, we will proceed with the legislation as it now stands to protect New Zealanders as best we can." MORE>>

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Green MPs in shock vote 22 June 2006
Four Green Party MPs voted last night to have working dogs exempt from microchipping laws, and said they did so to make the law unworkable.

Parliament voted to exempt working dogs after the four Green MPs changed tack and supported a National Party amendment. The Greens had previously argued against exempting farm dogs, saying it wanted microchipping scrapped for all but menacing dogs. MORE>>

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Chip law now dogtucker to happy farmers 22 June 2006
By DAVE WILLIAMSMarlborough farmers say they are pleased to be rid of the prospect of having to microchip their new working dogs - a rule most would have disobeyed had it been passed into law. (...)

Sheep and cattle farmer Mark Parsons, who farms in the Blue Duck Valley near Kaikoura, said the amendment was pleasing. Mr Parsons has five dogs, and he described the issue as a "bloody farce", and said most farmers would not have complied with microchipping rules unless they were forced.

"It wouldn't matter if they wanted to microchip and it cost nothing. I still wouldn't do it."
Marlborough has about 2500 working dogs. MORE>>

Dogs can feel insertion of microchips: breeder

by LISA ZWARTS

Claims that microchipping of dogs is completely painless and problem free are not entirely true according to Makikihi dog breeder Averil Ross.

With the dog microchipping law coming into force in two weeks Mrs Ross was unhappy she will have to microchip more of her dogs. Mrs Ross's border collie, Quest, was microchipped when he was three months old before he was imported from Australia.

Within three months the microchip had moved from the back of his neck to the middle of his rib cage-a distance of about 30cm.

Quest was microchipped as a means of identification after he was DNA tested. The testing was necessary to check if the dogs had any genetic problems, Mrs Ross said, but she would not have her dogs microchipped if she did not have too.

Mrs Ross believes the microchip possibly caused Quest pain. "Some days he is fine and some days he is not." Mrs Ross had a bichon frise puppy microchipped at the request of its new owner recently. "When the chip was inserted it came back out and when the vet inserted the second chip the puppy just screamed. It was awful."

Veterinary surgeon Katrina Crowe said she had not seen any negative effects of microchips in dogs but it was not uncommon for microchips to move.

"The chips are inserted in the subcutaneous layer of the skin, the fatty layer. "This layer is mobile and moves with the dog. "Once the body forms a capsule of scar tissue around the chip it usually stops travelling."

The newer microchips had devices to stop them from travelling, she said.

If microchips are not inserted correctly, they could cause problems, especially if they were inserted in more reactive tissue-like muscle, she said.

"It is pretty hard to insert a chip incorrectly, though." But they do!

'Fashionable' dogs suffer from inbreeding - club

Dogs such as the Alaskan malamute had become so popular as fashion accessories, especially in the Auckland region, there was dangerous inbreeding going on that caused serious genetic defects leaving some dogs temperamental, aggressive and suffering from eye diseases such as day blindness, New Zealand Malamute Club President Dave Fraser said yesterday.

The husky breed had become very "in" after movies such as Snow Dogs a couple of years ago and Eight Below earlier this year, he said. "Something needs to be done about breeders especially those in the north who breeding the pups as fast as they can without any thought for line or how close they are breeding them. Then they're sold without papers for under $500 because the demand is out there and we're absolutely powerless to stop it."

Mr Fraser said anyone wanting a Malamute husky pup shouldn't go near a pet shop.

"That's where you'll run the biggest risk of getting a pup that is diseased and has a temperament problem." The malamutes were originally pack dogs and they still were, he said.
The right owner was selected for a malamute pup, not the other way round, Mr Fraser said.

Microchips look a doggone cert

Farmers presented a 6700 signature petition to MPs calling for a dog microchipping law to be axed – but they may as well have been howling at the moon.

National, the Green Party and United Future disagree with the law in its current form. They want to alter it through amendments to a separate piece of legislation, the Local Government Law Reform Bill, but cannot agree on how to do that.
MPs spent much of last night debating the issue in Parliament during the bill's committee stage, their last chance to make changes before it is voted on.

But United Future MP Gordon Copeland, who wants working dogs exempt, and Green MP Metiria Turei, who wants to scrap microchipping, reiterated that there would be no change in their parties' positions – meaning attempts to scrap or limit the microchipping regime are sure to fail – as neither will support the other's position.
Well that's no surprise!

MORE>>

Microchipping and registration duplicates cost - Buckley

Waikato Federated Farmers president Peter Buckley says that if local councils policed dog registration there would be no need for microchipping.

Mr Buckley will today hand over a 5500-signature petition on the steps of Parliament opposing new government regulations will require all dogs first registered after July 1 to be implanted with a microchip. My name is there!

Mr Buckley said that farmers did not oppose microchipping of animals where it made business sense: they would soon be spending $30 million or more on putting radio-frequency identification (RFID) microchips in eartags on each of the nation's 10 million cattle.
GPS makes more sense to me...

The payoff from such tagging would be in providing traceability for export meat and milk, and in allowing farmers to treat animals individually.

But farmers objected to having to pay for both microchipping as well as paying annual dog registration fees to councils. I DO TOO!

"If they said we were just going to have the microchips and not registration, then we might have a different point of view," he said. I don't understand why we have to do both. Microchipping IS registration! NOR do I understand why we have to pay YEARLY fees! If they are microchipped, that's for life!

"The real problem is the compliance costs involved: it's got to be either registration or microchipping."

Mr Buckley said he could understand the stance of the nation's veterinary lobby, which has argued exemptions for farm dogs would undermine the effort to change society's attitudes to taking responsibility for dog attacks. Yup ... either all dogs or no dogs!

"But in New South Wales, they make a similar system work with farm dogs exempted," he said.
Fairness demanded that if microchipping was required by law, the law should be enforced against not only farmers and other middle-class owners, but also the no-hopers and people with criminal tendencies who would be the last to register or chip their dogs.

In some small towns and city suburbs unregistered dogs were rife, and it was likely the owners would be just as irresponsible about microchipping.

Dog ownership ban after sheep attacked

Timaru- The Usk Street owner of one of the dogs involved in an attack on sheep in Pages Road last month has been banned from owning a dog for five years.
Two dogs – a german shepherd and a bull mastiff-type – were involved in the attack, which resulted in at least a dozen sheep having to be destroyed.

Timaru District Council environmental health manager David Vince said yesterday the owner of the bull mastiff-type dog had received fines of $400 for failing to keep his dog under control, and failing to keep his dog confined.

That person had voluntarily agreed to be considered the equivalent of a probationary dog owner, disqualifying himself from owning a dog for a year. (...)

Mr Vince said the infringement fines imposed on the owners were comparable to fines imposed by the courts in similar cases.

"So the outcome is the same, without the cost to the council of a prosecution."
The farmers who owned the sheep involved in the attack had been consulted and Mr Vince said they had indicated they were comfortable with the action taken.

Attack dogs' owner pays up

The owner of two dogs that savaged a flock of sheep says he will pay for the damage.
And the Te Kowhai man who lost his small flock says that as a result there are no hard feelings.
The marauding dogs killed all but one of Brent and Suzy McPhail's 22 sheep in May - and now a Coromandel farmer has given them 10 pregnant ewes to restart the flock.

Todd Lahmert, who farms near Whangamata, said he felt devastated for the McPhails after hearing about the attack. He said he had 4500 sheep and he could spare a few. MORE>>

Dumped pup survives bin ordeal

Disgusted dog control staff are calling for the maximum penalty after a puppy was hit on the head and left for dead in a Motueka rubbish bin.

The puppy has since made a full recovery, but Tasman District Council dog control officer John Bergman described the case as "awful".

"Normally it's a case of neglect, but this is a deliberate way of trying to get rid of a dog and it's disgusting. "I've been involved with dogs for a long, long time and haven't struck this before.
"I'd like to take the person to task."

He added that if the culprit was found he would "absolutely" be pushing for the maximum penalty for mistreating an animal - either a $25,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both. MORE>>

Dogs on cat killing spree

Distraught cat owners around the northern area of Taupo are finding their pets dead - ripped apart by two dogs, usually in the early hours.

A lesson for cat owners... keep your cat inside, like they should, instead of your cat ripping apart birds!

In recent weeks at least five cases have been reported to Taupo dog control officers, who are now appealing for public help in tracking down the dogs responsible. Animal management supervisor Cherry Hewitt says all the incidents are believed to have involved a black cross breed and a tan crossbreed. (...)

On one occasion a man saw the two dogs chase his cat into the garage at 1am and when he checked it out, he found the cat had been mauled and killed. One particularly distraught resident is an elderly woman who had heard noises in her shed and, when she checked, found her 12-year-old cat had been ripped apart. Not nice...

(...) Anyone with information which could help identify the dogs is being asked to contact the dog control team at the council either on (07) 376 0627 or to call at Lake Tce office. The information will be treated in confidence.

Dog owner 'got off lightly'

The victim of a vicious pit bull attack says she is still battling physical and psychological scars and is calling for tougher penalties against dog owners.

Otaki Beach Motor Camp resident Pauline Cornelius, 63, suffered nine puncture wounds to her groin and a deep gouge in her leg when a pit bull terrier-cross mauled her at the camping ground in January.

After seven months of investigation by Kapiti Coast District Council, the dog's owner, Leith Terry, appeared in Lower Hutt District Court this week and was fined $1360. The council planned to disqualify him from owning a dog for five years. (...) MORE>>

Mrs Cornelius is angry that he got off lightly. "It is not right – these dogs cost $800 to $1000 each. How can a beneficiary afford that?"

This, of course, depends where the dog came from? The Pound, a friend, or a breeder?

I know how she feels, and I sympathise with her. A lot of people who are victims of crime don't feel that the punishment is enough. However, you can't draw blood from a stone. You can, however, educate dog owners on their responsibilities, and get them to do a dog education programme. Plunket for Dogs Owners!

Yes, I know! It's not easy to find, and if you do they cost money. Some councils, like WEllington offer free dog courses. More councils should follow suit.

Kapiti council customer service manager Jude Wadsworth said thoughthe council would have liked a heavier fine, but was satisfied with the conviction. The council was pursuing four other prosecutions against owners of dogs that had attacked or threatened people and dogs.

Dead dog penalty clause a fine mess, says kennel club

Dead dogs could attract a fine of up to $100 if local councils succeed in getting a new clause added to a bill on dog control laws.

In a move labelled "absurd" by NZ Kennel Club president Lesley Chalmers, Parliament's local government and environment select committee has recommended a clause be added to the Local Government Law Reform Bill, which comes up for its committee stage in the House this week.

The clause would allow councils to fine dog owners up to $100 for not letting them know a dog had died. If they did, all they have to do is register their dog for $50 !!

The bill has already sparked controversy over provisions to microchip all dogs.

Mrs Chalmers said the dead dog provision was "a nonsense". The Dead Dog Provision !! Ya gotta love the wording!

"Councils have not needed to fine people for dead dogs in the past and do not need to start," she said. "Apparently it costs local councils a lot of money chasing up dead dogs. It's a load of rubbish." You'd think that if a person didn't register their dog, that would mean that they no longer have it! hell, that's too simple!

The clause gives owners 28 days to comply, a ludicrous provision said Mrs Chalmers, given that ringing up the local council was likely to be the last thing on grieving owners' minds. Educate the people. Hell, I didn't even know ya had to do that!

Councils had obviously asked for the clause to be included, she said, telling the committee that most people did notify councils of their dog's death in order to get a refund on registration fees.

But most dog owners had no idea they could get a refund on the fees. Yup!

"The fact is that owners are ignorant of existing provisions in the Dog Control Act because councils don't make them known," she said. You have to wonder why ...

If so few people failed to notify councils, then it was ridiculous to pass legislation allowing councils to fine them.

Committee member and National MP John Carter said National did not support the clause.

After intense lobbying on the microchipping provisions, the Kennel Club felt it was going to have to start all over again on this latest clause, Mrs Chalmers said.

The committee's report has been tabled in Parliament and the bill will be voted on in stages, possibly beginning tomorrow.

* Dog-lovers' hopes that the universal microchipping of dogs might be ditched foundered yesterday when United Future said it would not change its position. MP Gordon Copeland acknowledged he may have given the impression the party was prepared to support a Green party move to restrict microchipping to dangerous and menacing dogs only.

But in fact the party would stick by its position that it wanted working farm dogs exempted from microchipping unless they were dangerous and menacing.

He said that other parties might change their positions before a vote was taken next week, but United Future would not.

Dog owner bred pitbulls to fight

A dog owner has admitted training and breeding pitbulls to take part in what a judge described as a "repulsive" fighting ring.

Floyd Vincent Langkilde was charged after a Northland couple was arrested for dog fighting. They were caught with a stud dog that Langkilde had lent them.

He subsequently rang the SPCA - who had confiscated the stud dog - and demanded it back.

He also approached an SPCA inspector at a court hearing for the Northland couple, and again demanded his dog back. MORE>>

Murphys the backbone of trialing

The mighty Murphys of eastern Taranaki have been stalwarts of the national dog trialing scene for generations. TERRY TACON finds out what's behind their success

Taranaki is one of the smaller centres of the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association but consistently punches above its weight in national events. MORE>> (a good story here...)

Editorial: Dog law out of control

The ground shifts again. It's now unlikely microchipping will become compulsory across all newly-registered dogs from July 1.

The Green Party, courtesy of having the numbers at committee level, has succeeded in having a clause included that only dogs classified as menacing or dangerous be microchipped. On its own that wouldn't have mattered. Labour, with NZ First and United Future, still had the numbers for blanket microchipping, but now United has changed its mind.

It will support an exemption to farm dogs, but if Labour can't live with that, it will support the Greens' new position. The trouble here is all the politicians have lost their way. It should not be compulsory for any dogs to be microchipped.

The Greens plan doesn't make sense. Dogs aren't really the problem. The owners are. Many dog attacks are by breeds not considered dangerous or menacing. The owners of "dangerous" dogs who don't register their dogs now (an estimated 200,000 of New Zealand's 700,000 dogs are not registered) certainly won't be going out of their way to microchip them. Quite true!

The farm dog exemption isn't fair either, certainly not in the eyes of the thousands of show or small dogs that shy even from cats. And what qualifies as a farm dog anyway? My one would be a workign dog, that's for sure...

And, taking up the view of the national veterinary association, there is no workable halfway house here, it's either all dogs microchipped or none.

Why not all? Quite simply, because microchipping won't stop dog attacks, and, if anything, will lead to even more non-compliance of the licensing system. Why is the government shoving this one down our throats... another process, another law that will bloats the all more government agency..

And the benefits the vets see in microchipping can be achieved by other means. Go ahead and introduce one national database instead of the present 74. You don't need microchipping as an excuse to do that. EXACTLY, however, they do need microchipping to PAY for the database!

Go ahead with more rigorous enforcement of dog control laws. Again, no need for microchipping. And yes, it's impossible now to identify the owner of a dog without a collar or registration tag, about as impossible in future as identifying a dog that isn't microchipped.

Let's remember here the new laws still introduce greater powers to councils and larger fines for the non-conformist, and public safety will be improved. Microchipping doesn't need to be part of that mix, and all politicians are missing that point.

Council backs neutering rule

The Nelson City Council has re-affirmed its desire to rid Nelson of menacing dog breeds by refusing to drop a compulsory neutering rule.

The decision comes as council dog control officers search for the owners of three bull terriers that attacked a puppy on Tahunanui Beach on Sunday.

The council's environment committee was on Tuesday asked by Environmental Inspections manager Stephen Lawrence to relax a neutering policy which he believes is driving menacing dogs "underground".

Four dog breeds are classified as menacing by law - American pitbulls, dogo argentino, Japanese tosa, and Brazilian fila. The council can also classify other dogs as menacing if they have exhibited threatening behaviour to people or other animals. There are currently 65 registered menacing dogs in Nelson, most of which are pitbulls.

Mr Lawrence told the committee dog control officers supported the idea of compulsory neutering but dog owners were hiding their animals to dodge the requirement.

He wanted the council to consider neutering on a case by case basis.

The intention of the law allowing councils to require neutering was to eradicate the menacing breeds, but because only some areas had taken up the option its effectiveness was limited, Mr Lawrence said.

Marlborough District Council and Tasman District Council neuter on a case by case basis.

Most city council environment committee members were reluctant to give up on the policy just a year and a half after it was introduced.

Cr Mark Holmes wondered how the owners of 16 dogs that had already been neutered would feel if the rule was suddenly changed.

Cr Jan Fryer said "menacing owners" were more the problem than menacing dogs, because responsible owners would register the animals.

"The biggest problem is those that are going to flout the law whatever the law is. Even if it's relaxed they'll probably still flout it because they're not going to want to be responsible for micro-chipping and all the other things that go with owning a dog."

MORE>>

United Future chases its tail

14 June 2006
A bid by minor party United Future to force the Government's hand over a bid to exempt farm dogs from microchipping appears to have fallen apart after Labour called its bluff. (...)
"It's all hideously complicated," Mr Copeland said when asked why he appeared to have changed his mind within 12 hours. MORE CRAP>>

Anderton pins chip outcome on United 14 June 2006
Minister of Agriculture Jim Anderton says United Future holds the key to whether dog microchipping legislation becomes law. EVEN MORE CRAP>>
Why does a minority party which didn't get 2% of the vote, have this much power!?!

One law for all doesn't stack up 14 June 2006
Let's be quite clear here. The idea of putting microchips into dangerous dogs that are likely to cut loose and savage other animals and people is a very good one. Using technology to immediately find out who the dog belongs to after it's been caught has a lot going for it, writes the Manawatu Standard in an editorial.

It's after that point that the plan starts unravelling. How to get that microchip into that out-of-control dog is the problem that faces the Government. MORE OPINIONS>>

Chip bill looks like dog tucker

The Government is facing an embarrassing defeat over plans to microchip all dogs, as key ally United Future wavers in its support.

A parliamentary committee examining the law, due to come into effect next month, also recommended yesterday that it be watered down so it would apply only to menacing or dangerous dogs, forcing the Government to scrape up the numbers to overturn the recommendation. (...)

National MP David Carter said he was surprised by Mr Copeland's comments, and hoped United Future carried through with its threats.
"They've been lions before and then suddenly become lambs. We'll wait and see."

Stabbed police dog likely to go back on beat

Stabbed police dog Ed is expected to return to the beat after successful surgery for wounds suffered on the job. Eastern district dog supervisor Sergeant Al McRae said he expected that Ed, also known as Edge, would return to the front line after time to recover.

Yesterday Ed was doped up with morphine and had fluid drawn from his chest at Massey University's veterinary hospital in Palmerston North. MORE>>

Council troubled by dog attacks

The dog, or dogs, which have killed 11 sheep in the Maungati area within the last three weeks still remain at large.

In Waimate there had been two reports of dogs attacking other dogs which had resulted in vet treatment.

Where's this going? I mean, dogs attack other dogs every day... and not always in a bad way...

Planning and regulatory manager Brent Donaldson said investigations were still continuing into the sheep deaths. "We have done a lot of research and door knocking but we have not found the dogs responsible and they remain at large." How much did that cost?

"Sometimes the owners know their dogs have been responsible and put them down themselves."

What are the incentives for a dog owner to acknowledge it? I mean, they'll get a $500 fine plus a "can't own dogs for 5 years". Would you own up?

Once the council located the dog they had a number of options.

They could declare the dog menacing or dangerous, they could come to an agreement with the owner to contain their dogs better and build appropriate fences, and in extreme cases get an order from the court to have the dog destroyed.

And...no fine ?!? My dog pisses on a fence unsupervised and he gets done for it and these dogs wouldn't ?!?

"We prefer to work with the dog owners. "If a dog comes to the pound and has its tags on a collar we will locate the owner and they can have their dog back free of charge the first time round. This is to encourage people to have their dogs registered."

Well, well, well... it seems that the City of Christchurch Dog Pound people have a thing or two to learn from Waimate !!

Dog control officers had a regular beat around Waimate and generally there were few problems.

Dog control officer Ross Andrew said the biggest problem was dogs without identification.

While the council is dealing with an influx of dog problems, it had also resolved to shift the funding for dog control increasingly from ratepayers' pockets. As a result of the long term council community plan it would cost $30 for the first dog and $14 to register any additional dogs. The ratepayers would go from funding only 10 per cent of the dog and animal control to 40 per cent.

Stabbed police dog at Massey

A police dog operated on by Massey University veterinary surgeons last night was in a stable condition this morning. Ed, a two-year-old alsatian, was stabbed while trying to subdue a fugitive in rural Hawke's Bay yesterday.

Soft-tissue specialist Barbara Kirby, who operated on Ed for nearly three hours, said the knife the dog was stabbed with was at least 20cm long. He was stabbed twice, once into his diaphragm and the other into his chest, missing his heart by a millimetre, Ms Kirby said.
"He's a really lucky dog." MORE>>

Man, the way the media fell over on the story, you'd think that people loved dogs more than their own kind! Last night's 6 o'clock news had the visuals for about a good 4 minutes. That's long for TV.

Obviously, I love dogs. It is just interesting to see that some dogs are one side of the pendulum while the other dogs are way over to the other side. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground.

Dogs Say NO! Protest Walk

Press release for Kate Wilkinson MP 6 June 2006


Dogs Say NO! Protest Walk


Dogs will take to the Christchurch streets on Saturday 10 June to protest against the compulsory implantation of microchips due to come into law on 1 July 2006. A protest walk has been organised by Kate Wilkinson MP, North Canterbury Federated Farmers and the NZ Kennel Club.


The walk is due to begin at 10am from the Armagh Street gate of Hagley Park. Owners with dogs on leashes will walk along Rolleston Avenue into Worchester Boulevard and down Montreal Street. Speeches from the National Party and various dog-associated organisations will take place in Cranmer Square. For information on the walk please contact waimakariri@xtra.co.nz or Ph: 03 310 7468.


Local MP Kate Wilkinson hopes city dog owners will join their rural counterparts in objecting to this law. “This is a national issue as it has never been proven that microchipping will stop a single dog attack on a child,” she says. “Our walk joins other rallies held all around the country in hoping the government will take notice of the common sense views of the New Zealand public.”


Response to the petition against farm dog microchipping has been huge and this will be presented in Parliament on 20 June along with the Federated Farmers petition. Both petitions will be available for signing at the protest rally.


Ends


Contact: Kate Wilkinson MP Ph: 03 310 7468/021 336 814

Dogs prove their strength with sled racing

A dark, mist-filled forest chock-full of howling dogs sounds more like a scene set for a horror flick than a sporting event.

But the sand and pine-needled trails of Fosbender Park in Invercargill were all about the speed and power of sled dog racing at the weekend. (...)

The drawback was temperatures more than 10degC, which made it uncomfortable for the dogs and that was why night racing and early morning runs were favoured. MORE>>

Leo and Bully hot for a national title

After his first open win this season, young Gisborne sheep dog triallist Leo Edginton and his dog Bully have gone on to win the South Island straight hunt final and yesterday they compete for the New Zealand title.

Edginton and Bully won the South Island final on Thursday with 98.6 points and will be hoping for another good run for the New Zealand final run-off being held yesterday at the Tux South Island and New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Championships in North Otago.
Legendary Gisborne triallist Merv Utting and his top dog Rose are still in the top seven of the short head and yard event at the championships. The final of this event is expected to be run on Saturday.

Ignore dog chipping law - Fed Farmers

Federated Farmers is calling on councils to ignore the new dog microchipping laws, but says it is not inciting civil disobedience.

Now what kind of message does THAT send to our kids??

"Ignoring the law is the most effective way at this late stage for councils to convince the Government that microchipping has no support, and must be repealed," the lobby group's president Charlie Pedersen said.

But I guess the kids already know that... hell, they take those "dangerous", "mind alterring" drugs, don't they? oh la la

He made the call during an anti-microchipping demonstration at the national sheep dog trials in Omarama. (...)

"It is difficult to find support for microchipping outside Parliament and the veterinarians," he said. (...)

"If farmers got away with registering pet animals as exempted working dogs, then a lot of urban owners would be encouraged to do the same to avoid the cost of chipping," he said.

Hell, we couldn't allow that, now could we? What kind of precedence does that send...

Council officers continue dog hunt

The dog that mauled a Hamilton woman in Frankton on Wednesday remained on the loose last night as council dog control officers widened their search.

Seven officers door-knocked Frankton and Nawton homes yesterday looking for the dog. They also patrolled kindergartens and schools in the area, looking for a large tan-coloured ridgeback dog which attacked Tania Potter, 29, in her neighbour's driveway in Hawk St.

She had nearly 50 stitches put in her face after the attack left her with puncture wounds under her left eye, her lip ripped open, and chunks of flesh torn out. (...)

Mrs Potter said she first noticed the dog on Wednesday morning as she walked her five-year-old son, Pacey, to kindergarten. She was attacked by the dog on her way home.

Anyone with information about the dog should phone Hamilton City Council on 07 838 6632

Dog owner banned for cruelty

A former Hope man is banned from having a dog for three months after the Nelson SPCA prosecuted him for ill-treating a puppy by slamming it into a car, and taping another dog's muzzle closed.

In the Nelson District Court this week Judge Tony Zohrab found Michael William Roden guilty of charges of ill-treating a blue heeler puppy named Holly, and failing to look after a blue heeler called Zac properly. (..)

Judge Zohrab ordered Roden pay $500 to the SPCA, do 100 hours community work, not have a dog for three months and pay $75 witness expenses.

Nelson SPCA's case was that in January last year a man saw Roden ill-treating the puppy close to a swimming hole at the Wairoa River. It was alleged he saw Roden grab the dog by its lead before swinging it around to slam it against the side of a stationwagon, and then on to the top of the vehicle. MORE>>

It says that the guy still has the dog... so one wonders ...

Cop on trial for using dog as weapon

A police dog handler accused of using his dog as a weapon against a surrendering man says he had only a split second to make up his mind what to do before ordering the dog to attack. MORE>>

Who's telling the truth? cop or man?

Only the dog can really tell us the truth..