New Zealand Dog News

Reviewing the dog news in New Zealand with editors comments. Someone needs to keep reviewing how our dogs are doing in society.

August 08, 2007

Dog owners try to cool attack anger

Dog owners are urging authorities not to over-react amid heated calls for action after a Christchurch toddler was mauled.

It's not JUST authorities... it's the public at large.

Have you been listening to Radio Live, or Talk Back (one of the same) yesterday. That's all they talked about.

Doglinks was interviewed on Radio Live yesterday as they wanted to make sense of what happened, and wanted solutions.

Unfortunately, it's not that simple. More rules, more high fences, more short leads, more fines, more dog pound officers, more microchips will NOT stop dog attacks. Some of these measures will increase them.

How short should the lead be? How high should the fence be? Why don't we just put all dogs in cages? Sounds like animal abuse to me.... so does putting a dog behind high fences, and short leads. They need socialisation, they need free walks and RUNS...

The Village Dog concept is that dogs are part of society. Yes they walked freely, but they also socialised freely.

FACTS about this dog attack:
no adult supervision
dog jumped over fence

This dog has a strong prey drive as he jumped the fence, and apparently went straight for the kid. However, this dog could have been wondering for some time, then rush to the sound of shrieks of children's cries. Witnesses??

This dog wasn't socialised properly. Puppy period is the most important time of a dog's life to get to know their environment. Sadly, most dogs learn to bark at the fence, bark at other dogs when walking, and think that the world is against them.

Yes, it IS the dog owners fault. No dog is inherently bad, and dogs are trainable (unlike what peter dunne said yesterday... he's obviously after the sound bit)

Like I said previously in this blog... because the media beat up Staffie-looking- Pit-bull looking dogs as EVIL and DANGEROUS, we the public walk around our streets, and cross the road when we see one of these dogs. Tell me, how will that dog get socialised when people and their dogs cross the road? Will these dogs actually get walks during the day instead of being walked at midnight?

Two-year-old Aotea Coxon was savaged by an American Staffordshire terrier-cross in a Christchurch park on Sunday.

She required several hours of surgery and 290 stitches to treat the facial injuries she suffered, and is in hospital in a stable condition. (...)

She said that on Sunday, Aotea and another child went to Jellie Park by themselves instead of waiting for her to take them. This is in response to the media saying WHERE WAS THE MOTHER?

"They took off on their own. I asked my daughter where they were, she said 'Oh my God, they've gone to the park'."
How far was the park from her house?
She would say that now, but I'm sure that they did this before, and why shouldn't they?? Kids should be allowed to go to the park alone, although a young 2 year old is a bit young to be lead by big sister.

The distraught owners of the dog said it escaped from their fenced back yard. They said the animal had never been aggressive before.

There are ALWAYS signs, they just didn't know how to read their dog's body language.

Police are considering whether to charge the owners.

In the United States, if your dog kills, you can be put to jail as if YOU did the crime! That's a bit harsh, and I'm sorry that we have the attitude that "someone should pay!"

Prime Minister Helen Clark said yesterday she would be looking at ways of improving and extending dog control laws, and at whether the list of banned breeds could be widened.

ya mate, now that's going to solve the problem !!

She had enormous sympathy for dog attack victims. How about all other victims of crime?

"It gives you the creeps to think of dangerous dogs strolling around, ready to pounce on innocent people," she said. "That's why I am more than happy to keep looking at how the law can be improved and how enforcement can be improved."

Why can't politicians ask the experts before they open their mouth ! If I wanted HER opinion, I'd ask. But she isn't an expert. Doglinks has presented to the Select Committee, and nothing of what we offered was looked at.... ie. dog education for the owner would be #1 on the list, the other would be less legislation.

Why? People who's dog may have bitten, or 'rushed at' at someone quickly leaves the scene of the 'crime'.

Why? they are afraid that authorities will take their dog away. It's easier to leave than to settle civilly, to apologies, to pay for 'damage'. If you do, then you 'admit guilt' and in the eyes of the law, you are guilty!

There is also the question of dogs used as protection... protection of property, protection of possession like drugs, money. We need to look at our drug laws too, while we are at it.

A breeder of Staffordshire bull terriers, who did not want to be named, said the breed's name was being sullied by the American Staffordshire terrier breed, which is closely related to the banned pitbull.

And who can tell them apart? How can you band a breed when you don't know what they look like?!

She said nine times out of 10 dogs attacked only if provoked or pushed into a corner.

"You get the odd rogue dog. But you don't see dogs walking up and down the street looking for children to bite."

YES, so we REALLY do NOT know the WHOLE story about this dog attack. People are NOT talking. Well, the mother wasn't at the scene, so we can't ask her? Where are the witnesses?

The New Zealand Kennel Club said there was a lot of confusion about breeds considered dangerous.

Senior vice-president Martin Hewitt said: "Once you start trying to do breed-specific legislation, you open up a whole can of worms, because where do you stop?" yes!

Most dogs that attacked people were not registered, Mr Hewitt said.

Another reason why we should look at how to get dogs registered. Registration fees is WAY too expensive. Hell, they should already be microchipped !

I have on the blog the Marlborough council and other councils, say that 90% of dogs have been re-registered, but what about all those dogs what we DON't KNOW about ??

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