Lifesaving dogs get their reward

Staffordshire bull terriers Amba and Bugsy have been jointly named Life Saving Dog of the Year for rescuing an injured, freezing woman near Upper Hutt.

Birchville resident Linda Fowler and her hairy heroes were flown to Christchurch to pick up the award on Friday at the New Zealand Kennel Club's national dog show.

The dogs saved the life of a woman who had spent a night lying semi-conscious on rocks after she slipped and fell below the Bridge Rd reservoir, north of Upper Hutt, in March. MORE>>

Police dog attacked in Hamilton

A Police dog required veterinary treatment to wounds suffered in an attack from a pitbull suffered while tracking a group of burglars in St Andrews yesterday.

Senior Sergeant Karl Thornton said the dog and handler had been called in after a cordon was established following a tip off from the public about suspicious activity.

"A member of the public rang us after seeing five youths walking along a green belt alleyway carrying bags and alcohol, the bags were then seen being loaded into a car.

"A cordon was set up and a track commenced during which the Police dog was attacked, the injuries were not considered major life threatening," said Mr Thornton.

At this time two youths were spoken to by Police but ownership of the pitbull could not then be established, a short time later a burglary was reported at a nearby home.

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Sheese... it's a hard job out there. I tip my hat off to the cops and their animal helper.

But that's why people get pit bulls.. it's a cheap burglar alarm.

Mayor calls for zero tolerance on pitbulls

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule believes three recent pitbull attacks in Hawke's Bay are further evidence the breed should be banned from New Zealand.
(...)
Council staff are meeting with the boy's mother today.

Earlier this month Setu Peni, 59, was attacked by a pitbull-cross in Flaxmere and a Napier community worker was hospitalised for a week after a pitbull attacked her during a house call in Pakipaki late last month.

Mr Yule would like to see a ``zero tolerance' policy on pitbulls.

``We all know that a lot of other dogs are not nearly this aggressive ... I just don't think we can keep tolerating this type of thing ,' he said.

Well, oh well, another councillor telling us what we don't know... great! is there any reason why the dog was chained up in the first place? How many walks a day did it get? Did it get any mental stimulation?

Perhaps the mayor can call on an expert before espousing his mental faculties..

Dog's life for election candidates

A pet food company has come up with a novel way of gauging the public mood ahead of the New Zealand's general election - which political leader would you like to see fed to the dogs?

Masterpet has made rubber chew toys for dogs with likenesses to the two politicians vying to run the country after the November election.

Masterpet said it will publish sales of the Helen Clark and John Key toys as an informal "dog tucker poll". Whoever sells the most could be in trouble come election night. MORE>>

how cute... great story !

Police dog nearly run down at burglary scene

A police dog narrowly missed being run over when a driver rammed a police car while trying to escape from the scene of burglary near Hamilton early today.

Police were returning from an armed incident in Enderley when they were called to reports of a break-in about 1.30am and found a suspicious car parked by the Rukuhia School, about 8km south of Hamilton.

Letting his dog out of the patrol car, a police dog handler went to investigate the car when it suddenly reversed at them, narrowly missing the dog and hitting the police vehicle.

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Don't worry, the dog is fine, and they caught the young idiots!

SPCA boss steps down for freer role

SPCA's top dog is leaving the office to take a more hands-on role in the battle for animal welfare.

Bob Kerridge, chief executive of SPCA Auckland, will step aside after 25 years to take up a newly created role as executive director, acting as the society's chief spokesman and advocate for animals.

The 70-year-old acknowledged that others would recommend he retired, but there was still a lot of work to be done in the fight for animal welfare.

"There's a lot of life left in the old dog yet - I'm freer to focus on other issues that really matter [and] there are plenty of things to do.

"The dog act [Dog Control Act] is always under scrutiny, and to make it work, we need to have a consistent connection with the authorities. We believe that it's the people that should be licensed, not the dogs.

"Another thing is improving sentencing for animal abuse and offending." MORE>>

Child loses part of arm in dog mauling

A seven-year-old Hastings boy has undergone surgery after being mauled by a dog.

Police said the boy suffered severe lacerations and a large chunk was torn from his right arm.

Ambulance staff were called about 6.25pm last night to a Flaxmere address and took the boy to Hastings Hospital.

The dog was surrendered by its owner and will be destroyed.

It was not yet know what breed the dog was or the circumstances surrounding the attack.

- NZPA

Does it really matter what breed the dog is? Is this going to be another 'breed stereotype'?

UPDATE

Pitbull tears owner's 7-year-old son's arm

A seven-year-old Hastings boy has undergone surgery after being mauled by his mother's pitbull terrier cross dog.

(..)

Hastings District Council animal control team leader Clinton Chadwick said he understood the male dog's owner, the boy's mother, was going to feed the dog which was on a chain.

"She didn't realise the boy was standing behind her and the dog lunged at the boy when he got too close to its food." MORE

YET, another dog dies because of human stupidity. Hum... the dog just thought that he had competition for the food, and did what dogs do. Poor thing, on a chain. I wonder how many walks a day he got? I wonder how much mental stimulation he got per day?

Fears after daughters attacked by dogs

A father is too scared to let his family go home after a dog mauled his young daughter – but it’s his neighbours, rather than their dogs that he is worried about.

Five-year-old Ataahua is lucky she didn’t lose an eye when the large pitbull cross attacked her.

She was out playing by the letterbox of the family’s former home, a Housing New Zealand property in Papakura’s Elsie Morton Place, when the dog set upon her earlier this month.

"He ran and jumped and bit me in the eye. I came running back home crying."

(...)

Officers have been working in the evenings and at weekends to get dogs off the streets and door-knocking houses where dogs have been seen or registered in the past but there are no records of registration now.

Their focus on the area will continue, he says.

Housing New Zealand south Auckland regional manager Madhavan Raman says staff are very concerned for the family and have met them to discuss the incident and the option of moving to another property.

"Housing New Zealand was unaware there was a dog on the neighbouring property as the tenant was not permitted to have a dog.

Really sad that this lead to the family fleeing their house. This is really not the outcome that anyone wants. It's hard enough for good dogs to get a good wrap, but... I know that in these situations the dog is there for protection of their owner, and their owners' "possessions".

Mange-ridden dog chained up

Animal welfare authorities are keen to track down the owner of an emaciated, mange-ridden dog found tied up at an isolated sewage treatment plant in Laingholm on Friday.

Spokesman Neil Wells says the male dog is thought to be a neopolitan mastiff-sharpei cross and is about nine months old.

It was found by plant workers and may have been chained for some time, he says.

The dog has a number of lesions on its head caused by excessive scratching.

"Obviously the lesions are a sign the dog has been in quite a bit of distress because of mange," Mr Wells says.

Mange is a parasitic skin condition that varies in severity depending on how long it is left untreated.

(...)

Mr Wells says the dog is "distinctive looking" and hopes someone will recognise it and help find the owner.

Call him on 836-7777.

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dogs do forgive... I hope he can find a loving home.

Wanaka dogs had their day earlier

In a case of "get in behind", all other claims to primacy in the dog-trialling stakes may have to give way to Wanaka, as Jim Sullivan reports.

Pinning down the date of New Zealand's first dog trial is a bit like penning half-a-dozen wild ewes using an untrained chihuahua, but it seems Otago has a good claim to have pioneered the pastime.

International publications say that the first trials in the world were held at Bala in Wales in 1876 but that can be discarded, just as the Welsh have chosen to discard Bob Dean's try in the 1905 test against the All Blacks.

The 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand gives the award to an event held at Hakataramea in 1889, although trials held at Duntroon in 1878 are well-documented.MORE>>

Mauling tests Kapiti dog laws

An American pit bull terrier is testing new dog control laws on the Kapiti Coast after mauling a man who was fighting its owner.

During the attack, described by an onlooker as "something out of the meatworks", 56-year-old Peter Reid had a hunk of muscle ripped from his left arm and had his right arm bitten. He also suffered a bite on his torso - not from the dog, but from its owner.

Mr Reid, a truck driver, spent a week in Hutt Hospital undergoing three operations and may have permanently lost the full use of his left hand.

The incident took place in Campbell Ave, Paraparaumu, about 5.30pm on September 4 when the two men were fighting about a woman. Two-year-old Bulla jumped out of his master's car and attacked Mr Reid.

Mr Reid said he was "beating the hell" out of the other man and had him on his knees "when the dog got out and started tearing at me while the guy was booting me on the ground".

An onlooker said that, as the dog savaged Mr Reid, a neighbour yelled out, "Go and get your guns."

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I hope I see the results. It should be an interesting case

Doggone it but the SPCA is fit to burst

The SPCA is overwhelmed with affectionate dogs waiting to become part of a family.

"We’re cramming them in," says assistant operations manager Lorien Doherty.

She says there are a combination of reasons they have more dogs than usual, such as people surrendering them because they can’t afford them.

As an extra incentive there is 25 percent discount on puppy and dog adoptions.

Ms Doherty says if people are unable to commit to owning a pet they could become a foster home while permanent homes are found. MORE>>

Lock up your dogs

Stray dogs beware. Masterton will be crawling with undercover dog control agents later this week and the chances of getting snapped will be high.

That is the message from Masterton District Council's team leader animal control Craig Robinson, who said 87 animal control officers are coming to town today (Wednesday) for the 47th Annual Animal Control Conference.

Taking place over two days (Thursday and Friday), the conference is a joint event organized by the three Wairarapa councils. Its theme this year is "Improve Public Safety by Taking the Lead".

Mr Robinson said guest speakers from America, Ben and Lynne Hart, would talk on animal behaviour and - on Friday - the delegates would hear from NZ Police on the affects of the drug ‘P', an Australian expert on the subject of DNA testing of dogs and taking samples after an attack, a motivational speaker on ‘healthy thinking and dealing with stress' and the DIA on ‘changes to dog control legislation'.

"We also have nine trade suppliers on site promoting: microchipping, containment units to keep dogs on properties, a National Dog Database representative, bark collars, dog control officer equipment and educational material from Australia.

SPCA celebrates 125 years of service

A march up Auckland's Queen St by animals and their handlers next month will help kick off 125th anniversary celebrations for the SPCA in Auckland.

The week-long celebration would begin on October 4 with a formal anniversary dinner at the historic church of St Matthew-in-the-City.

The following day the Queen St parade begins the celebrations before a thanksgiving church service in St Matthews.

It would also include a 'Blessing of the Animals' service held annually to mark the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

See Doglinks' calendar of event http://www.calendarwiz.com/doglinks

Sentencing For July's Waitoa Dog Attack

....

Sentenced to six months community detention and 100 hours community work Mr WITERE was also ordered to pay $5000 reparations.

Reflecting on the sentence Sergeant Rod Smart of Morrinsville Police said it appeared an appropriate balance had been found in recognising the seriousness of the attack and the boy's injuries with the dog owner's remorsefulness over what had happened.

"Mr WITERE'S early guilty plea has saved the victim and his family further stress and upset that would result from a protracted court case, he is genuinely remorseful and a harsher sentence would not undo the harm done."

SPCA and CYF to work together to combat abuse

In what is believed to be a world-first, Child, Youth and Family (CYF) and the SPCA will join forces this week to combat abuse in New Zealand.

Tomorrow, the two groups will sign an agreement for the SPCA to report signs of child abuse when inspecting or taking animals from homes and, in return, CYF social workers to report neglected or abused animals they spot while working with families.

The agreement is believed to be the first in the world to introduce a reporting protocol between a national child protection agency and a national animal welfare society. MORE>>

Microchip tracks `lost' husky back to NZ vet

A Siberian husky found tied to a gate outside a pub in Yorkshire, England, has a microchip in her back from an Auckland vet clinic in Mt Wellington.

Qui Qui, who was found tied outside a Sheffield pub, attracted the attention of British media when the microchip revealed she was registered in New Zealand.

Rebecca Penn, who found the dog, told the BBC: "To be honest, when someone told me where she'd come from I thought it was a wind-up.

"I couldn't believe a dog had come all the way here from New Zealand and I'm left wondering how she got here."

The husky is being cared for at the Barnsley and District Animal Welfare Centre in Sheffield. MORE>>

Doggone it! We had fun

The Champ Wag 'n Walk at Milford Reserve at the weekend was a barking success, with around 1300 dogs and more than 3000 dog-loving people turning up for the festival and 3km walk.

Around $10,000 in cash and product went towards the SPCA and chief executive Bob Kerridge actually let out a howl in gratitude at receiving the cheque. MORE>>

Cloned dog a father

Snuppy - the world's first cloned dog - is a father.

A team of Seoul National University scientists said 10 puppies were born in May using sperm from Snuppy artificially inseminated into two cloned female dogs.

They say the births mark the world's first breeding among cloned dogs, though breeding among cloned rats, cows and pigs has been successful elsewhere.

Infighting plagues SPCA

Infighting at the SPCA have left unwanted dogs in the Far North without a shelter.

The Royal New Zealand SPCA has ordered the Bay of Islands branch to close its Okaihau kennels while it investigates unspecified concerns about kennels manager Sue Dennis.

Branch chairman Simon Bristow says the SPCA’s national council instructed the committee to get rid of Ms Dennis or it would sack its members.

"We’ve fought hard to say this is inappropriate, but if we had been removed there wouldn’t have been a committee here and the SPCA would have fallen apart." MORE>>

Doggy damage: The biggest gnawers

It stands around 23cm tall and weights just 2kg but the average chihuahua costs its owners more than $1600 over its lifetime in stained carpets, ripped sofas and chewed cables.

The pint-sized pooch has been unmasked as the second most destructive dog after its considerably larger cousin, the great dane, which notches up an impressive $1739 worth of damage.

Mastiffs came third, costing their owners $1521 over a lifetime while basset hounds were found to cause $1466 of damage on average, according to a British pet insurance company which compiled its destructive dogs list after interviewing 3000 dog owners.

Finishing off the top five is the whippet, which will leave a trail of destruction totalling $1346. But Hamilton chihuahua breeder Gail Nielson believes the tiny dogs are much maligned and do not deserve the bad rap they get. Recently an Illinois University study also identified chihuahuas as the third most aggressive type of dog.

That's because owners pick them up when they see another dog, and therefore tell the dog that he must be afraid thus reacts that way.

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Dogs kill 24 fur seals

Up to 24 fur seals have been savaged and killed by dogs in the Far North, prompting a crackdown on unregistered dogs in the area.

Conservation officer Patrick Whaley said residents were shocked their dogs could have been involved in the slaughter at Ninety Mile Beach. Rangers are looking for two canine culprits.

Pack of dogs tear apart baby seals

A hunt is under way for a pack of dogs that savaged and ate alive 19 seal pups in two attacks on a Far North beach.

Jonathan Maxwell, Department of Conservation Kaitaia manager, said his staff had checked the seals at Shipwreck Bay, Ahipara, just an hour before the first reported attack last week.

(...) "The seals were flapping about and the dog owner tried to stop his dogs, unsuccessfully. He attempted to put the seals out of their misery by smashing a rock on their heads."

A day later, 15 seal carcasses, some half eaten, were discovered further south at Tauroa Point.

(...) Far North District Council spokesman Rick McCall said animal-control staff were working with police and the department in a bid to track down the dogs, and a campaign had been launched to locate unregistered and stray dogs in the Shipwreck Bay area.

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SPCA staffers pick up tips from CSI Miami

Two forensics experts have learnt skills from the CSI Miami team to help them fight animal cruelty across the country.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) senior inspectors Jim Boyd and Stephanie Saunders attended a course in Orlando, Florida, to learn the forensic techniques needed to track down animal-cruelty offenders.

The course included a visit from the Miami CSI, which passed on some of its knowledge.

"The course itself was three days. I was absolutely astounded by what we were able to learn in that time," Saunders, of Dunedin, said.

During the course they were taught about areas of forensics such as bite-mark and blood-spatter analysis, DNA profiling and how to interpret gunshot and other wounds. MORE>>

Dog names to the Max

The feted denizens of the city are joined by Harry Potter, James Bond, Buzz Lightyear and Hairy Maclary on the Christchurch City Council's dog register.

Max is still the most popular dog's name in Christchurch, with 477 pooches answering to it. However, many dog owners are more inventive.

The 7000-odd names for the nearly 30,000 pets on the register include four Harry Potters, 10 Rambos, one Cat, a Botox and a Bugger. MORE>>

Puppy dumping 'sign of the times'

The attempted drowning of seven puppies that were stuffed inside a sack and dumped at Riverton Rocks is a sign of the times, an SPCA boss says.

Southland shelter manager Mary Bradley said a woman heard the puppies yelping inside the sack about midday yesterday and rescued them before the tide could take the sack away.

Though disgusted with the perpetrator's actions, she said it was a sign of the times.

"With the price of petrol and power, people just haven't got the money to afford to feed these animals, but that's no excuse. If they don't want to raise puppies they should get the animals desexed." MORE>>