Breed award for drowned police dog thrills handler

Enzo, the loved police dog deliberately drowned by a fugitive last year, has been posthumously awarded an international honour for German Shepherds.

The award was presented to Enzo's handler, Constable Kayne Cording of Tauranga, during a ceremony at the German Shepherd Dog National Show at Hopu Hopu on Saturday.

Three-year-old Enzo was drowned during a manhunt in the lower Kaimai Ranges in August 2007.

His killer, Tairyn Murphy, 27, was later jailed for 14 months. MORE>>

Mates scale fence to escape dog

Being chased by an aggressive dog had best mates Jared Tomlinson and Denzel Paki fearing for their lives.

The Howick residents were walking through Kurnel Culvert in Howick at about 8.30pm on October 10 when a large dog came running towards them.

Jared, 15, and Denzel, 14, say they feared for their safety.

"It was a vicious dog and it wouldn’t stop chasing us even when its owner yelled at it to stop," Jared says.

When the boys had to jump the fence, they suffered injuries from some rusty nails.

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or information on animal management and how to deal with an aggressive dog or dog attack visit www.animalmanagement.co.nz.

The best food for man's best friend

Healthy food is no longer just for humans. Sally Kidson talks with two businesses in the Nelson region making 100 per cent natural dog foods.
I guess this post is just really advertising.. so i won't put up the picture :)

The biscuits are of a standard humans could snack on, although he concedes that this is not the target market. "It might work in Europe or North America, where they are into weird things like that," he jokes.

He says people have become increasingly conscious of what their pets eat. A quick Internet search reveals what goes into some of the major commercially-produced pet foods, and owners might be shocked.

Melamine, the chemical at the centre of the recent milk powder scandal in China, has already caused a scandal in the pet food world, after thousands of pets in the United States died from melamine poisoning linked to an ingredient used in many of that country's major pet food lines. The use of meat byproducts could mean all sorts of nasty ground-up animal products ending up in the family dog's or cat's dinner bowl.

Dog to the rescue after toilet stabbing

Bonnie the brave dog saved her owner in a violent hold-up in Shannon's public toilets.

The 2-year-old pitbull-staffordshire terrier cross bit the female attacker who stabbed her owner in the thigh with a pocket knife at about 6.15pm on Tuesday.

"I really think I would have been stabbed more than what I was," said her 40-year-old owner, who didn't want to be named.

The woman was walking Bonnie when she needed to use the facilities on Balance Street.

Bonnie went into the cubicle with her.

"She was in the other toilet when I was in there and when I came out she was standing there confronting me as I opened the door.

"I was shit scared.

"I can't get that image out of my head."

The woman did what she was told and handed over $30 and three bottles of medication with her name and address printed on the labels.

Hum.. makes you think that one needs to be ready for this kind of thing... but pity that this 'terrorist' needed to exist in the first place. I wonder why needed the money.

This didn't stop the attacker from digging the pocket knife into the woman's right thigh.

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Fears that Bonnie would be put down were quashed by police and animal control, the woman said.

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By law, Bonnie should have been muzzled.

"If I had a muzzle on her last night she wouldn't have been able to protect me. I've never seen that side of her until last night.

I guess that proves that one needs to really question the law on muzzles because of breed...

Levin police are looking for the offender described as a chubby Maori woman in her late teens or early 20s with short black hair, wearing a black top and jeans. MORE>>

More poison sausages in park

Dog lovers are being warned about more suspicious sausages found in Craigavon Park.

Sausages stuffed with what looks like rat poison were discovered in the Blockhouse Bay park in May and June.

An Auckland City Council spokeswoman says more were found in the leash-free dog area on October 2 and 3.

Temporary signs have been up since the first incident and the park is regularly checked.

"The council would like to remind the public to take extra precaution when at the park and keep their dogs on a leash in the short term." MORE>>

Mobility dog is ace in the hole

Marathon runner Bradley Mark had to make some massive lifestyle changes when he developed tetraplegia and arthritis.

But he has been able to maintain an active and full life with the help of man’s best friend – in his case Ace.

Now the former university lecturer wants to tell others how a dog can help people get round physical limitations.

Mr Mark, who has set up a Mobility Dogs Trust, will be the guest speaker at Arthritis New Zealand’s health expo on October 24 at the Kelston Community Centre. MORE>>

They will also be in Christchurch,...

Fido the fat blaster

Forget free fruit in schools and boot camp for children - the new frontier in the battle with the bulge could be the family dog.

As experts grapple with an escalating childhood obesity epidemic, new research has found that owning a pet could keep children slim and healthy.

An Australian study found young children who have a dog were 50 per cent less likely to be overweight or obese compared with those who do not have one in the family home.

MORE>>

And they use a picture of a fat dog... the one that was overweight at the SPCA.

The study, which looked at more than 1100 children aged five to 12, found they were in better shape if they had a dog, even if they did not walk it regularly.

Pitbull owners put bite on suggestion owners be licensed

Pitbull terrier owners have mauled SPCA chief executive Bob Kerridge for saying dog owners should be licensed, rather than dogs.
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That view worried the American Pit Bull Terrier Association, who were concerned Mr Kerridge would use his "considerable influence" to bring about owner licensing.

It would be expensive for law-abiding dog owners, while those flouting the law would still flout it, association spokeswoman Karen Batchelor said.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one thinking like this... it will, nevertheless give us dog trainers a lot of work :)

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"Unless the goal is to bring about the constructive dismissal of the family pet, one struggles to understand the logic," she said.

More than half of dog bite victims were bitten by their own dog, more than half of the victims were children, and more than half of those were boys aged five to nine years-old, she said.

Wouldn't that, therefore, not be logically reason why the American Pit Bull Terrier Association wouldn't support it. I mean, that's exactly why you'd want the family owner to understand their dog !!

"When ignorance is plainly the problem, then education - not more legislation - is plainly the solution."

But isn't licensing dog owners mean EDUCATION?? That's what I imagine when one says to license dog owners.., you need to pass a dog education test...

Mr Kerridge would do better to apply himself to "the horror that is battery hen farming", or some other "serious" animal welfare issue, she said.

Oh.... I see that there's a bit of bitterness here...

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No kidding around at SPCA pet parade

Anouk Van Dyk and her goat joined a long parade of pets up Queen St yesterday to St Matthew-in-the-City for the Auckland SPCA thanksgiving service and traditional blessing of the animals.

The society is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

In the church, people hugged their pets as they listened to the special song of the SPCA, You are Always There for Me, sung by Elizabeth Marvelly.

Society chief executive Bob Kerridge gave thanks for pioneers in the movement whose work led to the present animal village at Mangere. MORE>>

Chicken owner shoots dog

A man has shot dead one of two dogs he caught attacking his chickens.

Kapiti Coast District Council spokesman Tony Cronin said the Paraparaumu home owner returned from work about 6.45pm on Thursday to find a bulldog and a pit bull-cross savaging a chicken.

Detective Sergeant James McKay said: "A lot of other chickens had been torn apart as well."

The man chased the dogs up his driveway, then grabbed a gun and shot the pit bull-cross. MORE>>

Hey, being a pit-bull, must be okay to shoot, a?!

The right to defend his stock... so they say.

Owner fined for starving and dumping dog

Fines totalling $3800 for starving and dumping a dog on a snowy night have been imposed in a case described by counsel for the SPCA as "at the extreme end of appalling animal treatment".

Lawyer Richard Raymond said: "A message needs to be sent with a stern fine, and for the court to give some teeth to the legislation and send a signal to bring home to this offender that it is simply unacceptable conduct."

A veterinarian said the dobermann, Sheba, was within a week or two of death when it was found.

Rodney John Burt, a 50-year-old builder's labourer from Christchurch, today pleaded guilty in Christchurch District Court to charges that as the owner of the dog he failed to provide for its health and behavioural needs, and deserted the animal. MORE>>

Apparently he left his dog with family or friends, with food while he was gone. He came back and they starved him! Pick your dog sitters carefully!

Fine for dumping emaciated dobermann in the cold

Fines totalling $3800 for starving and dumping a dog on a snowy night have been imposed in a case described by counsel for the SPCA as "at the extreme end of appalling animal treatment".

Lawyer Richard Raymond said: "A message needs to be sent with a stern fine, and for the court to give some teeth to the legislation and send a signal to bring home to this offender that it is simply unacceptable coduct." MORE>>