Dog trials draw old and young

Sheep dog triallers were warming up for up a few competitions over the next couple of months at the Seddon Lion's Club trial at the weekend.

Sunday's field day at the Loe property in Ward raised $500 from selling food and refreshments, which will go to Ranui House in Christchurch, which provides accommodation for families of cancer patients getting treatment.
(...)

Points from the weekend's trial can be taken towards the New Zealand trials.

The Flaxbourne Dog Trial Club trials will be held on February 23 and 24, again at the Loe property in Ward.

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Dogged owner fights on

A Hauraki ratepayer is heading back to court to argue that a dog he claimed was not a dog isn't.

Gordon Israel has already cost ratepayers more than $10,000 in his legal battle with the Hauraki District Council and will argue in the High Court that the border collie he used to own is not a dog but a canine who is loved and cared for as part of his household and therefore exempt from registration.

Last year he was convicted of failing to register his dog Sally, but he also took urgent court action to stop the dog being put down –- which he lost.

(...)

Mr Tredgida said the court action had already cost the council $12,000, and with further action still pending the total cost could blow out to $30,000.

Somehow I don't feel 'sorry' for the council. They have to realise that dogs are not 'just' dogs for some people but part of their family. I really really resent the fact that they charge $80 to register a dog. We don't get much for that, except hassle. They say that the money goes towards putting away dangerous dogs, prosecuting dog owners, etc... but $80 worth?? It only cost $25 in most American/Canadian cities, and some cities don't even charge anything. They are just happy dog owners register their dog.

It cost the council $30 000 to prosecute one person... they'll tell you that they have to 'make an example' out of him. All they've done was make an ass out of themselves (chuckle). You gotta be nuts to pay $30 grand to prosecute some guy who 'didn't register his dog' !!!!! $30 grand.. that's a lot of mulla. I guess all they'll do is fine more dog owners.

Number of dogs left in cars shocks SPCA

Distressed dogs locked in cars without enough air are being found in increasing numbers in Auckland this summer, says the SPCA.

Two prosecutions have already been launched and the SPCA says it is prepared to prosecute more.

"Leaving dogs locked in cars, even for a short period of time, is totally unacceptable and anyone caught doing this will face prosecution," Auckland SPCA inspectorate manager David Lloyd-Barker said. MORE>>

Acclaimed trainer gives dog owners a few pointers in Puni

Hunting dog enthusiasts from around New Zealand gathered in Puni on Sunday, to train with acclaimed versatile hunting dog trainer, author and Pudelpointer breeder, Bodo Winterhelt.

Bodo, who is German but now lives in Oregon, is the founder of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, and has trained more than 3000 dogs during the past 65 years.

The versatile hunting dogs are a group of European breeds, which include the Hungarian Vizsla, German Wire and Short Haired Pointers, the Cesky Fousek and the Pudelpointer, among others.

These dogs can perform in every area of hunting –- finding and pointing' to game, tracking game once shot, and retrieving it from land or water.

Bodo was invited to visit Puni during his New Zealand holiday, by Margaret Cotton, secretary of the NZ Versatile Hunting Dog Test Association.

The NZVHDTA was established three years ago, based on Bodo's testing system, to enable owners to determine how their dog performs in each hunting task. MORE>>

Dog attack victim thought he'd die

Meter reader John Houwers has said he thought he would die when he was attacked by three dogs.

"I thought, 'What a horrible way to die'," he told Judge Anne Gaskell in Wellington District Court yesterday.

Mr Houwers, 69, was giving evidence against beneficiaries Desley Napia - owner of Bill, a bulldog mastiff cross, and Cookie, a bull terrier cross - and Brent Rua, the owner of the third dog, Rogue, a bull terrier mastiff cross.

Bill was put down immediately after the attack.

(...)

Napia's sister, Eva Napia, told the court she had seen only one dog - Bill - attack Mr Houwers.
Rogue and Cookie had been barking but did not take part in the attack. However, Judge Gaskell said she preferred the evidence of Mr Houwers. His evidence was also backed up by two independent witnesses.

Little noise, but dogs still attack

The Whangarei District has been quiet this holiday season, according to the number of noise complaints. Keith Thompson, manager of Environment Northland, says he was pleased with the low numbers of noise complaints.
(...)

But while the streets may be quieter, dogs are continuing to cause a problem, he says, with a number of dog attacks in recent weeks.

Mr Thompson says none of the attacks was serious. Summer is a busy time for dog complaints and this year is consistent with last year, he says

Dog puts teeth into lifeguard

A teenage off-duty lifeguard needed hospital treatment after being bitten on the face while trying to catch a golden retriever running amok on a Wellington beach.
(...)

The 17-year-old lifeguard, with council dog control officers, rushed to steer the dog from danger.

"It was actually getting in the way of the boats," Sam said.

Racing was delayed while efforts were made to lure the dog from the foreshore. Hell, where was the dog owner??

The race to catch the dog ended when Sam chased it into dunes. "I grabbed it, and it turned its head and bit me in the face." To stop the mauling Sam jammed his hand in the dog's mouth.

(...)

In the confusion following the biting incident, the dog's owner ran on to the beach, grabbed the dog and drove off. Witnesses took note of his licence plate. Jesus! did they think they were going to get away with THAT! I mean, dog control + life guard + loads of on-lookers? Some people don't deserve to keep their brains (well, obviously some else thought of that first!)

Wellington City Council's animal control manager Sam Lawrence said the car owner had been found and the dog seized pending an investigation into the incident. And a hefty bill!

Meanwhile Sam, whose family has a border collie, does not think the dog should be destroyed "unless it has attacked someone else". Looks like the dog was trying to protect his territory, and got all nerved up by the chase. Perhaps the dog thought it was all a big joke, until the end.

However, I wonder what Sam would have said if it was another type of breed. Cute dogs always get the good cuts!

He is relieved his injuries will not keep him from his summer job as a lifeguard at Lyall Bay. Hey, my old stomping ground!

Dog challenge issued to police

A Himatangi dog trainer is challenging the police to publicly prove their dogs can be called off the chase at any point.
Yes... I'd like to see this too!

This comes after convicted criminal Tristan Abraham was hospitalised after he was bitten by a police dog last week. Abraham was found hiding on a Russell Street, Palmerston North, property in breach of his 24-hour curfew and carrying a weapon.

This is what I was getting at... with this incident. One dog handler said that I was naive (the comment section), but I'm happy to see that I've vindicated :))

Last November, a police dog display at Wellington's stadium prompted a letter to the editor of a Wellington newspaper from a concerned member of the public.

The woman said the police dog display was a "disturbing section". Yes, I totally agree. If that was a demonstration and she was disturbed, what about when people on the streets see police dog handlers mistreat their dogs? I suppose I should have written a complain letter.. yet another one :(

"The dogs were very quick at catching the "criminals", but not so keen to release them.

"The police-dog section does a wonderful job, often in dangerous situations. But if a dog won't obey the command to let go from it's handler, it shouldn't be working. It should be back in training," the woman wrote. YES!

Last year, 27 complaints were made to the Police Complaints Authority about police dogs.

However, 23 of those were not upheld and four are still being investigated, a spokesman said this week.

Dog trainer Paul Hutton said one complaint to the authority was "one too many" and has renewed calls, after he wrote a letter in response to the woman's concerns, that police should prove their dogs are safe.

Mr Hutton would like to see a public demonstration in Palmerston North to prove dogs, in full chase, can be called off instantly and if the dog's chasing the wrong person that handlers can call their dogs off the hold instantly.

Dogs can be a lethal weapon when wound up, he said.

"The police are a professional body who should be accountable. If my dog bites someone and they're hospitalised I'd be charged."

While Mr Hutton won't discuss particular complaints, he would like to see the public reassured police dogs are safe.

"If the police dog unit doesn't believe a problem exists, it will have no qualms about responding to my challenge."

Mr Hutton trains some Department of Conservation hunting dogs for deer and goat eradication work.

These dogs are trained not to touch the animals, DOC programme manager for biodiversity and threats Andy Mercer said.

The dogs are taught to "indicate" where prey is, or to bale the animals into a position to be cornered and shot.

The dogs are 1m to 5m from the hunter at all times.

The public backlash over fox hunting in Britain prompted the changes and meant DOC is "paranoid" about dog control, Mr Mercer said.

"We can't have dogs mauling animals that are left walking around with their entrails hanging out," Mr Mercer said.

"We can't afford to lose this tool. It's 10 times more effective than using just a hunter."

Dogs destroyed after attack on cows

Two Staffordshire bull terrier dogs were destroyed by police after they were found attacking three cows at a rural Beach Road address yesterday. Dogs attacking cows!! I've never heard of that, but I guess when they are in a pack, anything goes..

The cows were today recovering from the traumatic experience, in which they were badly cut, and their owners, who did not want to be named, have praised the work of Ashburton Police in their prompt response to the incident.

At about 1pm yesterday, two dogs were seen moving in a fast trot down Beach Road and went into a paddock shoulder to shoulder, not changing their speed for an instant. MORE>>

Louis the dog's secret is out

Louis the dog's owners have found out about his secret 15-day stay in South Auckland.

Retriever Louis ran away from his Parnell home on New Year's Eve. His owners are overseas, and dog-sitter Edmond Stack kept Louis' disappearance a secret while he searched for the dog. But a friend read an article in the Herald about Louis' return and contacted them.

Said Mr Stack: "They were just happy that Louis was back safe and sound."

Overheated dog sparks warning

Taumarunui SPCA workers were forced to open a car door and release a dehydrated dog last week.

The problem has forced the SPCA officers to release a stern warning about leaving animals in cars during the day.

Dog owners are being reminded not to leave their dogs in hot cars after trouble last week. (...)

"It only takes around 15 minutes or so for a dog to die or become so seriously ill it can't recover."(...)

Officials say a closed car, even with the windows slightly open, interferes with the dog's normal cooling process - evaporation through panting.

Mrs Ward says if your dog is overcome by heat exhaustion, you can give immediate first aid by immersing them in cold water until the body temperature is lowered.

Local pooches once again win top honours

The South Canterbury Dog Training Club are the"top dogs" of the South for the second year running.

The club barked authority on their canine companions from Timaru to Invercargill at the weekend, successfully defending their title at the Zone 5 Mini Assembly in Dunedin.

Last year the South Canterbury team won the overall inter-club competition by finishing first in the obedience section and second in the agility section.(...)

Mrs Wakefield said each week the group trained specifically for agility and obedience and attended the domestic training classes at Gleniti Park on Thursday nights.

Doggie drama ends in a happy return

Louis is home - and dog-sitter Edmond Stack's secret is out.

The Irishman had been desperately searching for black coat retriever Louis since he disappeared from Mr Stack's boss's Parnell home on New Year's Eve.

He believes the dog was spooked by fireworks and escaped through a gap in the fence. He was found yesterday with a Mangere family who found him on New Year's Day.

Mr Stack kept Louis' missing status from his owners, who are honeymooning in Europe, while posting hundreds of flyers and offering a $1000 reward for the six year-old's return. He also placed an advertisement in the news section of the Weekend Herald.

Mr Stack feared the owners would cut short their honeymoon if they found out Louis was missing.

The couple, who Mr Stack did not want to identify, would send their dog postcards and text how much they were missing him.

"I would text back, 'He misses you, too'. It wasn't a lie. Louis would be missing them wherever he was." MORE>>

Theft stymies woman's dog plans

An American woman who saved $7160 to bring her beloved dog, Coven, to New Zealand is heartbroken the money has been stolen from her Hamilton home.

Vickie Anderson, 29, who emigrated to New Zealand six weeks ago from Philadelphia to teach blind children to read and adapt to life, returned from a holiday in Hawke's Bay last week to find her house burgled.

Her passport, three American credit cards and the money was stolen from a safe inside her wardrobe. MORE>>

Why the hell does it cost so much to bring a dog into New Zealand? yes, I know about quarantine, etc... but still...

Abandoned dog gets fresh start

After a loveless start to life Job is experiencing the love of humans for the first time - and a dose of puppy love.

Abandoned by his owners, the young dog was rescued by the SPCA and was in such an appalling state, hairless, covered in mange and extremely malnourished, it was touch and go if he would survive.

Now two months on he is thriving.

He is staying with foster mum Jan Baker on her 10-acre property in Karaka and has taken a shine to her dog Mango. MORE>>

Dog lovers' eccentric lives on show

You live in your car, you are surrounded by excrement, you are progressively estranged from your family, and you spend most of your time speaking in a high, squeaky voice.

And surprisingly, this is not a decline into homelessness and mental health problems. It is where dog ownership can lead, as depicted on Prime's reality show, Showdog Moms and Dads (Saturday, 7.30pm).

Truly, dog owners get enough bad press without this sort of merciless expose. Anyone who has seen Christopher Guest's uproarious mockumentary movie Best in Show will already have some idea of the personality ravages of people hooked on showing their dogs.

That was fictional, but Guest was not making stuff up. These owners and breeders, though their hearts are mostly in the right place, are quite perilously mad. Sometimes, but not always, their dogs are almost as bad.

Mostly, the animals are long-suffering. The series follows several dedicated dog- showers and their hapless animals through their show lives, and what passes for home lives. MORE>>

Ill-treatment of dog lands woman in court

A Hamilton woman has been given 60 hours' community work after the SPCA found a six-month-old sharpei cross suffering from mange and cowering behind a toilet at her home.
(...)
The judge said the abuse and neglect of animals was "secondary only to abuse and neglect of children". Sweet was also ordered to pay reparation of $855, to be deducted from her benefit.

I see that this judge is a dog lover !!

Two charged after dog bites woman in face

Two people who owned a dog that allegedly attacked a Hamilton woman in June last year, leaving her with extensive facial wounds, entered no pleas when they appeared in court yesterday. (...) Kahui and O'Brien were remanded until February 5.

Cruelty to animals must stop, says vet

Kittens are being tortured in the streets of Kaikoura, in a disturbing trend of "senseless animal cruelty" in the area.

Local vet Rob Bruning says some kittens have been buried alive and some thrown against walls, and a teenager was found beating a calf around the head.

Mr Bruning said an incident in Wellington last week, when two kittens were almost tortured to death by four children under the age of six, was tame compared to what was happening in Kaikoura.

The six-week-old Wellington kittens were repeatedly thrown into the swimming pool and onto the ground for more than an hour and a half, but in Kaikoura, days and weeks of "far worse crimes" were happening, Mr Bruning said. MORE>>

So were these kids summarily shot?

Dogs, by way of collective reputation, may well have learned to protect themselves! ;-)

Where the furk are the parents of these bloody kids...

Teen injured by police dog sent to prison

A teenager bitten on the leg by a police dog has been discharged from hospital and sent to prison. (the article and comments are below. I put this here in case you are interested)

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Teenager may lose leg after bitten by police dog

Tristan Abraham, 17, was facing burglary, theft and driving charges when he was granted bail in Palmerston North District Court on Wednesday, the Manawatu Standard reported today.

When police did a curfew check at his bail address later that night, Abraham was not there.

Abraham was tracked to property in the early hours of Thursday morning, set upon by a police dog and arrested. Can't police officers do the "leg" work?

(...)

Uncle and legal guardian Darren Marsh said Abraham was unarmed and had complied with the handler's instructions to come out from his hiding place and did not deserve the injuries he sustained.

However, Palmerston North police area commander Inspector Pat Handcock said Abraham was armed with a piece of wood and refused to budge, despite repeated attempts by the handler. Maybe the guy was afraid of dogs?

(...)

The family said the dog was not called off and that the ensuing fracas prompted a neighbour to aid the teenager.

Why is it that police dogs can cause injury and the dog is fine, okay, will survive, not get fined, but a 'common' dog who protects won't? Well trained dogs are killed by city officials because they aren't 'police' trained. Ya know what I mean... as if only police trained dogs are okay because they were trained by police handlers (who's training, by the way, is suspect. I say that from reports from citizens witnessing how police handlers manhandle their dogs)

Besides, isn't there a taser gun, or pepper spray that police people say great things about ??

Food for thought for pet owners

The family sits round after a roast or barbecue throwing food scraps and lollies to much-loved dogs. It's a familiar scene.

But Mt Albert vet Kim Chamberlain says owners could be killing pampered pooches with kindness.

Scraps and chocolate can make dogs seriously ill - and even kill them.

"Most people know chocolate is toxic to dogs," Ms Chamberlain says.

"It's very important that if their dog gets into the chocolate they go to the vet immediately.

"The dog will be made to vomit." How do you get your dog to vomit? You can reply in the comments down below.

Dr Chamberlain says chocolate poisoning can lead to tremors, seizures and even death.

Dark chocolate is worst for dogs.

"A small chunky bar of energy chocolate would be very toxic for a small dog."

Vets see an increase in the number of pets getting sick from eating the wrong things during summer.

And meat scraps can cause almost as much trouble as sweet treats. I don't see why unless the meat is slushed with gravy

"Bones can get caught in their intestines and fat can cause diarrhoea," Dr Chamberlain says.

"Bones are a big issue. They can cause constipation then dogs will end up having to have an enema. However, bones are a great way for dogs to spend their time. When a dog is introduced to bones as a puppy, he knows what they are... and it's great for their teeth.

"Roasted meat is particularly bad because it makes the bones really brittle."

Cats get a slightly better deal.

Dr Chamberlain says raw chicken necks and wing tips are fine for felines because they are more cartilage than bone and good for their teeth.

"They don't get caught or splinter," she says.

Owners should also pay extra attention to fleas over summer. Check Doglinks' Health Page for a natural way of getting rid of fleas... or at least preventing them.

It's the worst time for the tiny parasites - the weather in Auckland, Waikato and Northland isn't cold enough to kill them off.

Meanwhile people still planning to go away this summer are urged to include their pets in their plans.

"Having a friend, neighbour or pet feeder visit daily to feed and check on your animals may suffice for short periods for cats," Royal New Zealand SPCA chief executive Robyn Kippenberger says.

"The `home alone' approach is most distressing for dogs. They are highly sociable animals and get depressed when left without company."

She says animals taken on holiday should wear ID tags or be microchipped.

Dogs kill four sheep

Two dogs have been destroyed after a vicious attack on sheep at Ambury Regional Park in Mangere.

The attack happened late morning last Sunday when three dogs bailed up the sheep, killing three and leaving a fourth fatally injured.

"Rangers were alerted to the attack by a member of the public and got down there immediately while it was taking place. Unfortunately, the third dog got away but we hope it won't be back," park ranger Stan Hall says.

The dogs, neither of which had collars or tags, inflicted serious wounds to the backs of the sheep.

"We were lucky we only lost four animals." MORE>>

Members of the public with any information about dogs in the Ambury Park area can contact the park's rangers, phone: 636-6118 or 021-366-254.

Hunters save dogs from nettle horror

If animals could hand out humanitarian awards then North Otago hunter Murray Oliver would surely be in line to receive something akin to a canine knighthood.

Out searching for wild pigs on January 3, little did the Oamaru farmer suspect that within hours he would be racing to save his hunting pack.

A good day for hunting, Murray rose early and with his team of six dogs and a friend's son, Mitchell Sidon, piled in and on to his truck and drove towards the Kakanui Ranges.

Within 30 minutes they'd left their vehicle and continued their travels on a motorcycle; the dogs, in anticipation, running with them.

Murray said he soon spied pig rooting among some rocks.

(...)

Soon after, the normality of the two hunters' day began to rapidly change.

"It was only a matter of about 20 minutes before the dogs started going down. They were scratching and itching themselves on the ground, against rocks and against me.

"Kim, was the first to become badly affected. Her joints locked up straight away. Beau was next to get crook and shortly after that Thai went down as well."

Dropping the pig's carcass, Murray and Mitchell struggled with the dogs who were either paralysed or near to it, up the side of the gully to the motorbike.

(...)

"We piled the other three dogs, Jake, Patch and Jin into the cab and took off for the nearest homestead. There we rang the vet and told them what had happened and that we were on the way."

(...)

He was able to take Jake and Patch home with him (from the vets) but Jake went down again during the night and had to return to the vet's next morning.

(...)

The intrepid hunter has a word of advice for others using the bush.

"Keep a wary eye out and avoid tree nettle."

Impounded dog on drugs duty

A dog impounded in Rotorua has a new leash of life.

Flash, the country's newest prison narcotics dog, was found in a city pound by Police Officer Tiny Taylor.

It had suffered from some mistreatment and neglect but had retained a certain "spark", Mr Taylor said. "He looks peculiar but he's quite exceptional."

The Department of Corrections has welcomed the new member of staff just before Christmas.

Flash and dog handler Craig Lacy graduated at the New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre late last year and will work together at Spring Hill Corrections Facility, searching visitors, vehicles, cells and prisoners for narcotics.

"We bonded very quickly, from day one he's been a brilliant dog to work with," Mr Lacy said.

"He doesn't need motivating he loves searching, to him it is a big game." Criminals too!

Mr Lacy has taken on a huge commitment as a dog handler; unlike a lot of people he cannot leave his work as Flash lives with him.

Flash underwent a through rigorous selection process to ensure he was fit and capable for the job. From there he and Craig underwent an intensive two-month training course.

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Labradors still the favourite purebreed

The trusty Labrador has kept its top spot as New Zealand's favourite purebreed, but metro mongrels are all the rage for space-deprived townies.

The New Zealand Kennel Club, which represents the country's dog breeders and owners, has released figures showing 1320 Labradors were registered last year - up nine per cent on 2005. Kennel club president John Perfect said Labradors were also top of the 2005 list. "They are both a great family dog and a working dog which is often used for hunting." MORE>>

Just aware that Labs have the most 'complains about 'dog bites' '... but that is just because kids do silly things to the dog until the dog gets enough and dog snaps to the kids. The kids interpret this as dog aggression, tell their parents, then .. you get the story?

Saying all that, I love labs for their gentle nature.. and some of those mix-labs are just too-cute!

Three generations trial dogs

A love for dog trialing has trickled through three generations of Trevor Gibson's family.

The Blenheim engineer, who was born and brought up in Kaikoura, has been into the farming sport for four years and has inspired his son Matt,14, to get involved. His uncle from Kaikoura, David Harris, has also been involved in the sport for 30 years.

Last weekend Trevor, Matt and David competed in the Kaikoura Collie Dog Club and Lynton Downs School fundraiser dog trial at Mt Furneaux.

Trevor and Matt both competed in the handy dog section, which is a new event for Kaikoura and sponsored by Tux . There were 50 entries in the inaugural section and competitors came from as far afield as Timaru and Nelson. The competition involved drafting, loading sheep onto a truck and putting them through hurdles. MORE>>

Taste for chocolate nearly a dog's undoing

A sneaky canine who scoffed three boxes of chocolates and the wrappings from underneath a Christmas tree put his life in danger.

Chocolate is poisonous to dogs and the greedy pooch had to be rushed to the vet.

New Plymouth Veterinary Group's Robert Mills says the dog was okay, thanks to the quick thinking of his owners.(...)

Chocolate contains a compound called theobromine, which is similar to caffeine but highly poisonous to dogs. The toxicity level depends on the amount of chocolate a dog eats and the type of chocolate it is.

Signs of chocolate poisoning in dogs include irritability, increased heart rate, increased urination, vomiting and muscular tremors and, in extreme cases, death.(...)

He says dogs go crazy over chocolate. Funny, but my dog sniffs at it, and walks away. Some idiot was wanting to give my dog chocolate (I was looking out of the Fish And Chips place) and I was proud that my dog just looked at the guy like he was nuts. Holmes had the last laugh as the guy wasted his chocolate... on the pavement for some schuck to walk on. (chuckle)

"They'll break into anything to get it and they don't know when to stop."

He says the darker the chocolate, the more poisonous is it to dogs.

Dr Bell recommends using a piece of cheese as a treat instead of chocolate. Doh, as if people actually willingly give their dogs chocolate! And besides dogs can't digest milk products. You give your dog milk or cheese and they'll fart all night long! That's the last thing you'd give as a treat. Why not a piece of dried liver?

Dog attacks hold steady

Oh, now this should be a good read!

Dog-bite attacks in Christchurch have remained static in the past year, but the number of animals impounded could be increasing.

Why am I not surprised. At $300 a dog fine, I'd be wanting their pelts too!

British authorities are reviewing the effectiveness of dog laws after a pit bull terrier-type mauled to death a five-year-old girl at her grandmother's home on New Year's Day.British law bans the breeding and sale of four breeds – pit bull terriers, Japanese tosas, fila brasileiro and dogo argentino.

In New Zealand, the same breeds are classed as menacing dogs, meaning they have to be muzzled in public and neutered.

Christchurch City Council statistics for July to June years show that in
2005-06 --186 dog-bite attacks on people,
2004-- 190
2003-04-- 185 .
So far this financial year there have been 87 attacks.

I'd LOVE to know what an ATTACK is. Is it nipping? Is it riping your clothes off? Is it a misinterpretation of a non-dog owner?
As you all know, there are statistics, and statistics and more lies. I learned that at University!

Statistics are only as good as what/how it is measured. If they really want to understand if their laws are working (dummer laws, I should say), they should measure 'attacks' in details. But of course, that would just be as good as the person entering the info.

There was a moderate increase in recorded incidents of dogs attacking domestic animals in the past financial year – 255, compared with 209 and 222 in the previous two years. So far this financial year 109 domestic attacks have been recorded.

The third category the council records is dogs rushing at people. Oh dogs rushing at people?! What the hell is that?

For 2005-06 there were 286 recorded incidents, compared with 321 and 329 in the previous two years. There have been 127 rushing incidents recorded so far this financial year.

The council has impounded 1323 stray and wandering dogs so far this financial year compared with 1720 for 2005-06. And Holmes was one of them. The one that CAUGHT the ROBBER!

They couldn't even write the ticket out right. We thought if we pointed it out to them, they'd say 'sorry, maybe next time.' But NO, they wrote another ticket! When we tried to go to court, the courts said that we shouldn't have told them anything and gone to court and tell the judge their mistake. We thought we'd save the taxpayers money, instead, we paid! Go to court next time. We learned our lesson. Sorry taxpayers, but we are made to waste your money.

Study raises growl from doting dog owners

Pounding the pavement with your pooch may not have the claimed health benefits, according to a new survey.

A Finnish health survey of 21,101 people found pet owners were more likely to suffer from illnesses such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, ulcers and kidney disease than people who did not own pets.

They also smoked more, but drank less, and were fatter, particularly dog owners, according to research reported in the current issue of the PLoS ONE journal.

But Canterbury pet owners disagree with the research. MORE>>

Ya gotta wonder where the hell they did their research. I mean, everyone knows that a pet allows you to feel wanted (those puppy eyes), and protected (okay, so they don't always bark when they need to), and give you more exercise (ya well, I know that draggin you don't the road isn't really relaxing!)

I saw it come closer and then..

BUT his dog felt it coming before he heard it coming. I just saw on Discovery Channel "Can animal predict volcanoes, tsunamis, etc" I thought that this article was interesting after having seen that programme.

HE stared death in the face when the 43-tonne milk truck ploughed into his house and headed straight for him.

Instead, Mr John Ashman, 55, escaped with just a broken leg when the truck stopped short of the chair in which he was sitting.

The cause of the runaway truck: Its driver had apparently choked on a lollipop and lost control of the vehicle. (....)

He told the New Zealand Herald while recuperating in hospital from his latest injuries: 'My dog Zac took off, and I wondered why.

'Then I heard it coming, a series of crashes. It kept getting closer and closer and I'm thinking, 'What do I do?' '

Mr Ashman could not run because of his broken heel. MORE>>

More awards, research – and books

Farming Editor TERRY TACON has been catching up with some of the people who made headlines in Thursday Farmer during 2006.

CAROLINE GILBERT, who talked about her involvement in the 2005 Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme in JANUARY, said that by comparison 2006 had been a "quiet year".

Her version of "quiet" might wear out lesser people. She took a full role in work on the farm she and husband Tim own in Crown Rd, Toko, including calf-rearing and raising yearling Jersey bulls, one of which topped the Stratford sale at $675.

She also managed to fit in completing her level 4 Agriculture Industry Training Organisation studies, a role on Taranaki Federated Farmers' executive and the secretary's job at the local play group daughter Eleanor attends. Son Joshua started school at Toko during the year and Caroline is expecting another baby in July. MORE>>

Dogs enjoy break in bush

Andy Earnshaw and Dayna Mateara from Christchurch are camping at Quinney's Bush because it's the only dog-friendly Nelson campground they could find, but they've decided they'll probably be back next year.

It's getting more and more difficult to find places to camp with dogs. No wonder people camp in the free parks!

The couple arrived at the "back to basics" campgroun at Motupiko, 52km south of Nelson, on December 31 with their bull mastiffs Lucky and Karma.

Mr Earnshaw, 28, and Miss Mateara, 25, said they and the dogs were having an extremely relaxed time. The camp was family-oriented and everyone was friendly.

Lucky and Karma had been getting acquainted with some of the other dogs in the camp, they said.

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Loved dog destroyed after 'fear biting' owner

A Chatto Creek dog owner made the tough decision to put down a much loved pet yesterday, so it would not harm any children.

Senior Constable Colin Stevenson, of Omakau, said police had been called to the rural property on New Year's Day, after a woman received "minor injuries" trying to separate her two dogs from fighting.

Yesterday Melissa Wilks' mother Karin Patterson said one of the two staffordshire terriers had "reacted" and attacked the other dog after he got a fright.

Her daughter was then bitten on both her hands as she tried to separate them.

"All she was trying to do was protect Ru from Tyson who was trying to have a go – he didn't know (it was her)," she said.

Although Tyson had never attacked a person and there was no order to destroy him, Ms Wilks had nevertheless decided to put him down yesterday morning, in case his "fear biting" caused him to attack a child. MORE>>

What do others think? Is this an overreaction because of all the media attention, or is this a legit reaction? What DO you think?

Charlotte's animal passion

TV hottie Charlotte Dawson is hoping 2007 will go to the dogs.
The Getaway travel show host is fronting the coming year's Save Animals From Exploitation (SAFE) campaign.

Charlotte and her niece, star actress Emily Barclay, both feature in the 2007 SAFE calendar to raise money to stop animal abuse.
"It's being kind and charitable to those that are less fortunate, and that includes animals," said Charlotte, devoted owner of pet chihuahua Harper. (hey, that's the Prime Minister of Canada's last name.. she doesn't deserve that name!)

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