Court Rules A Dog Is A Dog Not A Family Member
A New Zealander who claimed his border collie Sally did not have to be registered because she was not a dog but a loved member of the family has lost his case in court, it was reported Saturday.
The dog was impounded by Hauraki District Council dog officers after Gordon Israel, of the North Island town of Waihi, refused to pay the animal's compulsory registration fee.
He said Sally was a "living being who is loved and cared for as part of the Israel household," and should not be subject to regulation, the Waikato Times reported.
A High Court judge has upheld Israel's conviction on a charge brought under the Dog Control Act 1996, the paper reported.
As a result, Sally could have been put down but family friends have since paid for the registration and mandatory micro-chipping. "
It's a happy ending for the dog, which probably wouldn't have survived to see another Christmas," Hauraki mayor John Tregidga told the paper.
But he said council ratepayers faced a $10,000 bill for court costs. Gee, how much dog food that would have bought for the homeless pooches! But it had to go to court. I probably would have done the same. My dog is part of the family. We don't register our kids, do we? At least not every year. What I don't get is that if there is a microchip implanted in the dog, well... he's tagged for life. So why pay council fees?
The dog was impounded by Hauraki District Council dog officers after Gordon Israel, of the North Island town of Waihi, refused to pay the animal's compulsory registration fee.
He said Sally was a "living being who is loved and cared for as part of the Israel household," and should not be subject to regulation, the Waikato Times reported.
A High Court judge has upheld Israel's conviction on a charge brought under the Dog Control Act 1996, the paper reported.
As a result, Sally could have been put down but family friends have since paid for the registration and mandatory micro-chipping. "
It's a happy ending for the dog, which probably wouldn't have survived to see another Christmas," Hauraki mayor John Tregidga told the paper.
But he said council ratepayers faced a $10,000 bill for court costs. Gee, how much dog food that would have bought for the homeless pooches! But it had to go to court. I probably would have done the same. My dog is part of the family. We don't register our kids, do we? At least not every year. What I don't get is that if there is a microchip implanted in the dog, well... he's tagged for life. So why pay council fees?
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