Dog ownership rules tightened up

Franklin District Council has tightened up its urban dog control policy to protect residents from the threat of dangerous dogs roaming and ultimately attacking in packs.

From the beginning of this month, council staff are automatically refusing multi-dog permits to owners of menacing and dangerous dogs. Menacing breeds, classified under the Dog Control Act 1996, are the prohibited imports Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa and American Pit Bull Terrier. Dangerous dogs can be any breed, the dog having been declared a threat to people or stock, after a dangerous deed, for example biting.(...)

The strict new rules stem from concerns raised by councillor Sue Jackson, herself an expert on dogs having bred and showed Rottweilers for a number of years. "If people are going to live in town and have a dangerous dog, they should only have one."

She says that's because dogs, such as the fighting breeds mentioned, are more likely to attack if they get out in a pack.

"It's about preventing packing," says Ms Jackson. "If they get out and there was just one of them, I guarantee I could do something about it, but if there is more than one, it's a whole different (situation)."

FDC's director of regulatory services, Peter Thom, says: "The council believes that the policy changes reinforce the Dog Control Act 1996 in focusing on public safety and addressing the issue of menacing and dangerous dogs."

The full policy can be viewed at www.franklin.govt.nz

Why would anyone want more than one menacing dog?

What do they have to protect? These dogs are not pet dogs, they are used as protection. Why don't we question what they have to protect, and remove it...