Living to tell her story after horrific dog attack

A Putaruru woman mauled by eight pig hunting dogs thought it was only a matter of time before they killed her.

"I prayed I would die quickly, that it wouldn't take long,'' Maggie Christensen said this week, describing her terrifying ordeal on August 3 which left her with bites one doctor described as the worst he had seen.

Mrs Christensen, 36, was set upon by the young bull terrier-cross pack as she was out running on rural Hildreth Rd, not far from her family's dairy farm.

In an exclusive interview this week with the Waikato Times, she said she had felt the dogs biting into the back of her neck, her scalp, her ear, and she knew it wouldn't take long for them to get to her throat.

She thought she could fight them at first "I knew I had to protect myself'' but she ran out of strength.

They got her on to the ground and she instinctively curled into the foetal position to protect herself, as they continued the fierce attack.

MORE>>

Remember, they were pig dogs... and in a pack, and they didn't really belong to the "owner" from what I read. The ''owner'' unfortunately inherited these dogs...

I hope the media don't get all hysterical about dogs now. What they did was awful, but not all pet dogs are pig dogs.

I'm just happy there is a great ending to this story, and that she's still smiling... hope she doesn't give up jogging.

Dog-bite scrap with council could end in court

A Timaru woman is prepared to go to court to settle her grievance with the Timaru District Council after her dog bit a postal delivery worker.

At least she can go to court. She wasn't shut down!

Carer Dyane Rawston paid a $250 fine in May after Andy, her 10-year-old fox terrier cross, bit a postie outside her former house on Brunswick St.

Read below about why he bite the postie!

While she disputed the complainant's version of events and tried to talk to the council about it, Ms Rawston said her side of the story was ignored and she had no choice but to pay the fine.

funny that!

Four days ago she received another infringement notice for $300 for "failure to comply with effects of dog as menacing dog". The notice carried the hand written warning "please note that an infringement notice will be issued every 24 hours until compliance".

Over the top@!

Problems started on April 27 when Ms Rawston and her flatmate were unloading a vehicle after a grocery trip. Her two dogs Andy and Sparky were with her as the postie cycled to her mailbox. Ms Rawston said Andy ran up to the postie, who in response kicked her in the head, causing the dog to bite her on the foot.

A written complaint to the council said the postie "brushed off" Andy, Ms Rawston said.

hum... brushed off... I'm not quite too sure why posties don't carry treats with them. When they see a dog coming towards them to say hello, send a few treats past their head, and bang... the dog goes for the food.

THE WITNESS: However, Roger Thompson, who lived at the same address, said he saw the incident from a room in the house and agreed with Ms Rawston that Andy bit because she had been kicked.

After she paid the fine, the matter seemed to come to an end, until Mr Thompson said an animal control officer visited the pair last week at their residence on Gould St.

Mr Thompson said he was told Andy should be muzzled and microchipped a move Ms Rawston is unwilling to take because she did not believe it was necessary.

However, council building and environmental services manager David Armstrong did not believe the council had been over-zealous in its handling of the incident. Oh really !! Why aren't dog owners believed !! sounds like they have a problem with their ego.. uniform does not mean you don't have to abide by the law!

Andy was classified menacing not dangerous. A menacing dog "may pose a risk" and the designation was "at the lower end of the scale", Mr Armstrong said.

From the point of classification, Ms Rawston was given one month to comply with conditions imposed that she microchip Andy, have her spayed and muzzle her whenever she is in public.

If she wished she could have written to the council to ask for a formal review. Neither Ms Rawston nor Mr Thompson did that, Mr Armstrong said.

Even if you do write to the council, they ignore you, and issue you with another fine. You don't have your dog in court, nor your day in court!

The initial problem was that although Ms Rawston called Andy back, the dog ran at the postie and did not respond to her owner's command, he said.

I'm sure that postie has met that dog numerous times on their run. Yes, I know that little dogs pose as much of a problem as bigger dogs, but like I said... throw some treats to the dog, and you get a happy dog!

"The law is that everyone must have unimpeded access to the front door. We have a postie doing her job who got bitten. Unfortunately the wee dogs cause the problems."

How about the wee postie who kicked her in the head?

Fake animal control men try to take dogs

Fake animal control officers have been trying to spirit away pets as bait for dog fighting, police say.

Two men posing as council officers are singling out the owners of Staffordshire bull terriers and Rhodesian ridgebacks in Otaki, on the Kapiti coast, claiming they need to take the dogs away for microchipping.

Karaparira Winterburn's suspicions were aroused when she did not recognise the men who said they were animal control officers admitting she knew staff from previous run-ins. MORE>>

Man knew old dog he stole would be savaged

William Campbell set his fighting pit bull-cross on an old dog he snatched to use as bait while a friend videoed the mauling to put on the internet.

Campbell, 25, of Porirua, said he knew his dog Dukes would savage 14-year-old Lincoln, who was found later injured, bleeding and hiding in a toilet block.

In Porirua District Court yesterday, Campbell admitted seven charges laid under the Animal Welfare Act of dogfighting and failing to seek treatment for the injured dogs but says he still wants his fighting dog Dukes back from SPCA custody.

The court now has to decide his dog's fate.

The SPCA and Lincoln's owner are calling for Campbell to be jailed.

MORE>>

Not sure if jail would really rehabilitate this moron... maybe put him in a a similar situation-- have the best boxer ''fight'' him, and see how he likes it.

Second dog taken from home where puppy horrifically killed

SPCA staff in Dunedin have removed a young dog from the Stenhope Cres, Corstorphine, home where an 18-month-old Jack Russell was killed after being strangled, hit with a spade and forced to drink petrol.

The dog - a female 1-year-old fox terrier-Staffordshire cross named Shadow - was being cared for by the woman who owned Diesel, the Jack Russell killed in the prolonged attack on February 1.

(...)

"Legally, she couldn't be prosecuted . . . morally, she allowed the dog [Diesel] to be tormented. Basically, it all started with her.

"She couldn't offer supervision then. I wonder if she can now," Ms Saunders said.

Contacted yesterday, the woman - who would not give her name - insisted she was not a bad dog owner, but was trying to "start fresh". MORE>> -- read the bottom of the article -- and we wonder where our kids are learning this stuff.

What's your view on the ethics of breed restrictions?

One way to resolve the debate about dog bite dangers would be to conduct a thorough scientific assessment of the risks.

Several studies have addressed this. For example, in a German study by the Institute for Animal Welfare and Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Germany, seventy golden retrievers were compared to dogs of other breeds that would have been restricted under laws of
the German state of Lower Saxony. No significant difference was found along a number of behavioral dimensions related to aggressiveness. As a result, the legislation in Lower Saxony was changed, and breed lists were withdrawn. (See Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Vol 2, No 3, May/June 2007)

An Australian Study (Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Vol 1, No 1. July 2006) found that attacks involving pit bulls were exceeded by those from several other breeds, and moreover that in Australia, as in the United States, reliable data do not exist for the number of attacks relative to breed population. None of 19 human fatalities in Australia since the 1980s have involved an American pit bull terrier.

In a broader sense, the overall risk from dog bites is much less than the prevalence of campaigns to ban specific breeds would suggest. In the book Dogs Bite: But Balloons and Slippers Are More Dangerous, Janis Bradley shows in a convincing and entertaining manner that dogs are in fact much safer than many common household objects and activities.

What's your view on the ethics of breed restrictions? Given the data above, are bans a legitimate response?

Jim's views (I hope he doesn't mind me posting this... but he says it so nicely)

Specialists on risk perception note that there are several factors that affect individual assessments of the possibility for death, injury or other dire consequences. According to Victor Asal, a professor at the State University of New York at Albany, and an instructor in programs on crisis leadership for the U. S. Office of Personnel Management, these include characteristics of the population and of the perceived threat. For example, experts tend to underestimate risk, while lay people tend to overestimate.

Individuals who have suffered in the past may see life generally as more hostile and thus tend to overestimate risk. Risks are considered to be higher when the threat is perceived as catastrophic, exotic or unfamiliar and especially when it involves children. Risk perception
is heightened when people dwell on a potential threat over a long period of time. It is only lessened by dialogue when the counter- arguments come from a trusted, neutral source.

We can see these factors at work in the area of breed-specific legislation. Canine professionals are almost uniformly against them, while the general population sees a greater threat. This perception may be particularly severe in urban areas. Widely publicized attacks, sometimes reported using harsh rhetoric and dramatic photos, increase the concern, particularly if there is any mention of risk to children. The concern about dangerous breeds has been percolating for some time, and the counter-arguments are sometimes dismissed as biased or self-serving.

Cheryl says: "I do not think BSL makes any difference, as the problem is ultimately
irresponsible owners and almost always involves a loose, unconfined dog. Simply enforcing leash laws would make a huge difference, in my opinion."

Rotorua supports ICC killing pups

The Invercargill City Council has won support from its counterparts for destroying six rottweiler-bull terrier puppies last week, with one council saying it would have made the same call.

Well, well, well... another council who could use an invitation to listen to Dr Ian Dunbar- He is coming to Auckland and talking about dog aggression !! More info: dogstar.doglinks.co.nz

I would like to know if they did a temperament test for the puppies... something similar like on

http://www.workingdogs.com/testing_volhard.htm And if they did, who administered it?

Figures from several local authorities showed the Invercargill council had a higher rate of euthanising dogs than most but a similar rate to the Rotorua District Council.

This says that they need similar education on dog behaviour

Last year, the Invercargill council impounded about 500 dogs and destroyed about half, while the Rotorua District Council impounded 2000 and destroyed about 900 (45 per cent).

Rotorua District Council animal control supervisor Kevin Coutts said he would have taken the same action as the Invercargill council when it destroyed the pups based on the notion they would become dangerous. "Rottweilers are used by the army and security companies to attack people and pitbulls are trained to attack other dogs it's quite a combo," Mr Coutts said.

Perhaps the city councils in New Zealand who think that killing pups based on their breed should take some lessons from Calgary, Canada

"The responsible pet owner program in Calgary is based on four principles: licensing and permanently identifying the pet, spaying or neutering, properly socializing and taking care of the animal’s health and not allowing the pet to become a nuisance to the community.

“We don’t need a lot of complicated laws or take measures like banning breeds. We don’t limit how many animals you can have. We just hold you to those four principles.” says the Calgary City Council.

"I was very impressed with the stance of (Invercargill Mayor) Tim Shadbolt the other night. He's done a lot of other councils a very big favour."

Now we're in trouble!

(...)

"If someone can display good knowledge and behaviour, as an owner, for two years then they get a 40 per cent reduction on their ($80) dog registration. It's good incentive to be a good owner."

Mr Shadbolt said he would be open to discussing the Dunedin initiatives at his meeting with SPCA representatives in Invercargill next week.

That's a beginning ! Glad to hear that Tim is coming to his senses...

He was not surprised by the stance of the other councils, after the Invercargill council's proposed change for dangerous dogs to be destroyed immediately if they attacked a person received great support at the local government conference last month, he said.

Trigger happy...

DESTROYING DOGS: Auckland City Council: Impounded: 2128 dogs. Destroyed: 629 (29 per cent) Christchurch City Council: Impounded: 1657. Destroyed: 266 (16 per cent)

It might be that Christchurch is in the unique position of having Dogwatch... Check their website. When the Dog Pound Officers know that a dog coming into their care can be potentially rehomed (yes, puppies too), they tell Dogwatch, and Dogwatch houses them until the dogs find a home-- hence the low kill rate.

Dunedin City Council: Impounded: 769. Destroyed: 86 (11 per cent) Rotorua District Council: Impounded: (about) 2000. Destroyed: 900 (45 per cent) Invercargill City Council: Impounded: (about) 500. Destroyed: 250 (50 per cent)
*2008 figures

Surgery barking up the wrong tree, says vet

Dogs are having their barks surgically silenced for no reason, a vet warns.

Christchurch vet Ian Ross said more Christchurch dog owners were opting to have their dogs "debarked".

Here's an article "Study Reveals What Dog Barks Really Mean" (I must admit that I don't agree with it all though :) )

If your dog is barking when you are not at home, look for the cause, and fix it with behaviour modification, dog walker, doggie day care, etc etc Don't go for the quick fix.

"I've been a vet for 11 years. The first debarked dog I ever met was here in Christchurch and I've met more since," he said. "It's easy in Christchurch to have a vet surgically alter the larynx of a dog to make its bark quieter. It's a real shame ..."

Some dogs were debarked because constant barking angered owners and neighbours.

I totally agree. I hate a constant barking dog too. It's probably the most annoying thing there is apart from Boy Racers waking me up at 2 in the morning...

"It's much simpler to drop the dog off at the vet for surgery than it is to increase his exercise and train him not to bark. But why does this dog bark all day and all night?

"Dogs inside with their owners tend to sleep. Dogs chained to a tree by themselves for long periods tend to tell the world they are unhappy. Muting them just seems lazy to me."

Not lazy... cruel ! If you tie your dog in the backyard all day, why did you get a dog in the first place?

During surgery tissue was removed from a dog's vocal cords. However, the procedure did not stop barking, Ross said.

The howl of those dogs that had undergone surgery sounded like a whisper or a light cough.

It's the sound of a human not understanding their animal companion. Obviously, they aren't an companion, but a nuisance... shame on them for taking on a dog that they don't have time for!

MORE>>

Support for Rudman's 'pit bull on a barbie' column

Herald columnist Brian Rudman's call to "throw another pit bull on the barbie" has caused an international storm, but is now bringing words of support.

Angry emails from the US, Canada and the UK are pouring into the Herald after his column spread online.

Rudman said people should "not get too sanctimonious over one dead pit bull" in the wake of the story about a dog being cooked on a family BBQ in south Auckland earlier this month.

The email feedback was almost universally opposed to Rudman's comments until this article was published.

MORE>>

Find the pitbull http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

and see if you can identify what one looks like!

Puppies could have lived

The owner of a dog whose six puppies were put down by the Invercargill City Council found owners for some of the pups but had his offer turned down.

Why? too much paperwork?

Dog owner Neihana Bostock said he had lined up owners for two of the rottweiler-mastiff puppies before they were impounded by animal control last week.

He sounds like a very caring, and responsible owner...

"They said it didn't work like that and told me the dogs would be destroyed if I couldn't come up with the money I needed to get them out, inside a week," he said.

hey? it doesn't work like that?!

I don't understand. If you are looking for a dog to adopt, can't you check the Pound and ask dogs that they have needing a new home?
Does this mean that all pound dogs, if not collected, are killed?

I checked their City Council's website (http://www.icc.govt.nz/council/services/animals/lostimpounded/en/lostimpounded_home.cfm) and there is nothing about not allowing an owner to find a home for their dog.

"The owners I organised pulled out when they heard the dogs were at the pound anyway."

Isn't that sad! They neednt have been at the pound in the first place!

The six-week-old pups were given a lethal injection on Tuesday because the council felt they would grow up to be dangerous.

Now THIS is dangerous territory!

The move angered the SPCA, which had offered to find good homes for the pups or move them out of Invercargill.

Mr Bostock said he did not want the puppies to die but simply could not afford the $1200 in various impound fees he needed to save them.

"That's a lot of money to find in a week, especially now I'm in the (Alliance meatworks) off season."

The $255 fee to get the puppies' year-old rottweiler mother Jazz back was all he could afford, he said.

Council chief executive Richard King said there had been enough dog "incidents" in recent times for the council to err on the side of caution when choosing dog owners.

So this means that the SPCA aren't good dog owners?! Remember, the SPCA did offer to rehome these pups!

He did not have figures available to back up his claim.

Of course not. He's a city employee, what would he know? Shabolt is in the same basket.

Maybe Mick Jagger is correct. Perhaps Invercargill is "the arsehole of the world" (at least some council folks. I do know many great Invercargillians... but not at the council)

Mr King disputed the breed of the puppies, saying they were rottweiler-bull terriers, which meant they were likely to become dangerous despite the SPCA claiming good homes created good dogs.

They didn't CLAIM, there IS scientific evidence that proper socialisation, and proper care make great dogs (and humans too!)

"In theory that's all good but (killer) Charles Manson was a lovely person at one stage, too," he said.

Huh? What does Charles have to do with dogs?

Dogs aren't born bad... Is this what Mr King has for evidence ?!? Can I sue him for slander ?

However, in this particular case, the puppies were destroyed because of their particular crossbreed, the mother's aggression, and the council being cautious, Mr King said.

Bullshit!

Four official complaints had been made against Jazz; one for barking at a person outside a supermarket, one for chasing children into a school, and two for being off her property, he said.

"I'm not criticising the SPCA, they do a good job, but the SPCA wants to make the world safe for animals, and sometimes that is at odds with what the council is trying to achieve."

That's at odds ?! Where's the soap?

Royal New Zealand SPCA national chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said Invercargill had done a poor job of dealing with dogs.

It should have taken a leaf out of the Dunedin City Council's book and desexed dogs for free, Ms Kippenberger said.

Desexing would reduce the aggression in male dogs but fewer puppies would also mean fewer dangerous dogs, she said.

"It's bizarre. I've never heard of a council acting this way before. Shooting puppies is not the way to do this, you're taking care of the problem at the wrong end."

She said she would raise the issue with the council at a special meeting in Invercargill next week.

Can I suggest to Ms Kippenberger that she ask that Council pay for Ian Dunbar to come and talk to them about dog behaviour.

Check http://dogstar.doglinks.co.nz/ for more details

Who is Dr Dunbar?

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Dunbar has given over 750 one-day seminars and workshops for dog trainers and veterinarians in an effort to popularise off-leash puppy training classes (which he pioneered), temperament modification, and owner-friendly and dog-friendly dog training. Dr. Dunbar's books, videos, and AKC Gazette "Behaviour" column (which he created), have won numerous awards. Dr. Dunbar is currently Director of the Centre for Applied Animal Behaviour in Berkeley, California, where he lives with his wife Kelly, plus Claude, Ugly, Mayhem and Dune.

Eighteen is Enough

Robyn Crook, the apparent "Jon & Kate Plus 8" for dogs, takes her 18 chihuahua-cross dogs for a routine walk in a triplets baby buggy in downtown Tauranga, New Zealand on Thursday, Aug. 14. (Don't miss the dogs on the bottom of the stroller peeking out.) AP Photo/New Zealand Herald/Bay Of Plenty Times, Mark McKeow.

SPCA outraged at dog deaths

The SPCA is appalled the Invercargill City Council killed six "harmless" rottweiler puppies yesterday because of their breed, while the dogs' aggressive mother was returned to its owners for a fee.

The Southland Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals is also upset it was effectively used as a "death row for dogs" after the council housed the puppies in its kennels last week.

Council chief executive Richard King said the dogs were impounded last Tuesday after the mother was found barking at schoolchilden in Elles Rd as the pups wandered around unchecked.

The pups were given a lethal injection by animal control yesterday because the council considered rottweilers dangerous, Mr King said, despite them only being six weeks old.

However, the puppies mother, which was now classed as "menacing" by the council, was given back to its owners because they paid an $80 fee, he said.

It was also the opinion of the council's animal rangers that the puppies owners were not good owners, he said. MORE>>

That's Invercargill's council for ya... remember the incident with Mr Watt from the council.. (google it on my blog). Remember that the Pound couldn't secure dogs? Someone 'broke in' and retreived the prisonned dog.

They are killing dogs that are POTENTIALLY dangerous ?! Hum... I guess every dog is potentially dangerous, so will they make that policy at their council?

Man 0 man... maybe the Council would like Ian Dunbar to come down and give them a talk. Dr Ian Dunbar will be visiting the country and will be giving talks in Auckland and Christchurch... but perhpas he'd need to have a bit of a session with the staff at the city council, who, I'm sure aren't qualified in understanding dog.

Good dogs rewarded - but not with buns

Jim MacKenzie spent Sunday morning eating a giant chelsea bun, all in aid of testing 12 Timaru dogs' behaviour.

Mr MacKenzie's bun was one of a number of distractions the dogs had to ignore in order to gain their Canine Good Citizen foundation certificate.

"I had to break off bits of it and then when the dog was stopped in front of me I had to put it down to see if the dog would go for it."

While only five of the dogs passed all the tests yesterday, most handled the food distraction well. MORE>>

Dog eater needs 'education, not punishment'

(click on title link to read the whole article)
Animal welfare group Save Animals From Exploitation said it was totally opposed to killing and eating domestic pets.

Mayor Banks said hating Mr Taufa for what he had done was uncalled for, as the level of cruelty and violence towards domestic pets was "shameful" in New Zealand.

The SPCA said it could not prosecute Mr Taufa because he had killed the dog in a humane way, with minimal pain and suffering.

....so Mr Banks is opposed to eating a pet, and the Save Animals From Exploitation is opposed to eating DOMESTIC pets... what a bunch of hypocrites! The SPCA should never even had to comment about this because in their own words "he had killed the dog in a humane way, with minimal pain and suffering." NO suffering. Go catch the people who use dogs in dog fights. This topic just shows how people's argument skills are flawed.

I'm not vegetarian, so how can I say that this Tongan man is wrong in eating dog. What's the difference between dog, sheep, cow, goat, horse ?!?

Then you read "SPCA calls for law change after dog BBQ". Why? They actually said that this man did nothing wrong in terms of treating this dog humanely.

Read what other people have to say in this article (click on article above)... go to the end of the article for the comments...

Nice to know that I'm in good company with my opinion (see below)

Editorial: Cultural norms in a dog eat dog world

OPINION: The howls of outrage at news a Tongan family in Auckland killed and cooked their dog have an ear-stinging ring of ignorance and hypocrisy.

The SPCA is leading the self-righteous indignation of the culturally closed-minded and is calling on the Government to change the law so people like Paea Taufa can be prosecuted for killing dogs for consumption. MORE>>

___________________________

Dogs on barbies 'not pets' (ABC NEWS- Australia)

A New Zealand academic says cultural differences are behind the controversy caused when a Tongan family killed and barbequed its staffordshire bull terrier.

Professor of Pacific at Auckland's Massey University, Sitaleki Finau, says in Tongan culture dogs are not viewed as companions, but as another source of meat, and the boundaries do not cross.

"People [Tongans] who look after animals do not consider them pets. I used to look after pigs and we used to eat pigs. The word pet is probably given to the person who looks after the animals, it's not so much that they are anything special," Professor Finau said.

"For Tongans there is a very, very marked division between a pet and people - so pets don't sleep with people, pets don't come into the house, pets don't do all sorts of things the way that regular Pakeha [non-indigenous New Zealanders] treat their pets here; some of the pets here eat better than human beings," he added.

"Young men around the villages or work groups they would - if they have access to a dog - cook them for lunch, but it's not actually a formal family meal type thing, unless in times of stress, then it makes it way onto the family's regular meal menu."

He says it is a fairly regular occurrence.

"I've just come back from Niue; the police used to shoot stray dogs and give them to people in Niue, mostly Tongans who eat dogs."

Under New Zealand's Animal Welfare Act it is legal to kill a dog if the animal is slaughtered swiftly and painlessly.

Professor Finau believes New Zealand law should stay as it is "because you are going to have difficulty defining what a pet is".

There is no federal Australian legislation governing the legality of eating cats and dogs and the RSPCA points to state and territory specific legislation that shows it is only illegal in South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.

The RSPCA say it is opposed to the use of dogs and cats for fur or food, and president Dr Hugh Wirth has previously led a campaign to include dogs and cats on the list of animals banned from backyard slaughter.

Pooches preened in Christchurch

Dishevelled dogs dared not move while they were sculpted into works of art during the national dog-grooming competitions in Christchurch at the weekend.

About 50 groomers entered the National Dog Groomers Association competitions Groomalong at the Canterbury Kennel Centre at McLeans Island near Christchurch. MORE>>

A reader aksed me a couple of weeks ago if Doglinks knew anything about the event. I search and looked, and couldn't find a thing! ... if you know of any events, please send them along to natalie@doglinks.co.nz and tell us about your doggie event!

Plant a native tree in honour of your dog's memory

Plant a native tree in honour of your dog's memory

Christchurch City Council is offering dog owners a place to create a special tribute to their departed pets by establishing a pet memorial park at the Groynes Recreational Reserve.

Presently 60 plots have been sectioned off and marked on a map to be sold to owners of pets who want to plant a native tree in memory of their beloved furry family member and best friend.

(...)

A plot and tree package costs $75. For an additional $25 pet owners can include the concrete ground marker at their plot. Steel plaques for the monument are available from a provider at $10. The plot and tree selection can be done at any Council Service Centre.

(...)

The Memorial Park is part of the Groynes Dog Park at Johns Road. The areas surrounding the memorial park will be landscaped with paths and low-growing grass plants. The memorial park officially opens on Sunday 6 September with a planting ceremony at the site at 2pm.

Sea slugs may be victims as well

An expert on sea slugs doubts they are to blame for killing dogs, saying the slugs themselves are probably victims of something in the water.

Researchers are looking at whether toxic sea slugs found at Narrow Neck Beach, on Auckland's North Shore, killed dogs in recent weeks and made others ill. They believe the slugs may have eaten something toxic and passed it on to the dogs. MORE>>

Poisoned dog's test results due today

Environmental officers were today hoping to see test results which might help explain the mystery deaths of dogs and marine life in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf.

Two dogs, hundreds of fish, some penguins and five dolphins are known to have died in the gulf or on North Shore beaches in the past month.

Several dogs which have been walked along North Shore and other beaches around Waitemata Harbour have also contracted illnesses. MORE>>

Natural toxins seen as possible cause of dog deaths

Natural toxins in seaweed or other sea matter are seen as a possible cause of deaths and illnesses among dogs that have been on Auckland beaches.

One dog died last month after being taken to Browns Bay beach, while there was a second fatality this week at another North Shore location, Cheltenham Beach.

Two other dogs were reported to have become ill without dying. MORE>>

Dogs to be destroyed after mauling jogger

A man whose neighbour was savaged by a pack of dogs says he does not know why the animals gave up their attack, but he is grateful they stopped when they did.

Margit Christensen, 36, was jogging on a rural road in Puketurua, west of Putaruru in the Waikato, when the pig dogs went for her yesterday afternoon.

She suffered serious wounds to her head, arms and legs and was flown to Waikato Hospital for surgery.

Last night, her condition was stable. MORE>>

Poisoned dogs spark beach warning

Auckland's North Shore City Council is advising people not to walk their dogs on any of the region's beaches.

Two dogs have died and another became violently ill, after being taken on beach walks. One of the dogs died after walking along Narrow Neck Beach. Poisonings have been reported at Devonport, Browns Bay and Waiake Beach. MORE>>

Dog deaths stop poison in Christchurch Park

The Christchurch City Council has stopped using possum bait in Victoria Park after one dog was fatally poisoned and another nearly died.

Lisa Pilkington recently lost her five-year-old female labrador, Sammi, after the dog ate the possum bait, cholecalciferol, in the Christchurch park.

The dog was off her leash for about 10 minutes, Pilkington said. "I take full responsibility for what happened. I don't want it to happen to another dog and I think it's crazy that they use a toxic in such a beautiful area." MORE>>

A good reason to teach your dog to 'leave' or to take only the food that you give him. However, this could be almost an impossible task for a Lab:)

Blind woman told: You can't stay here with your guide dog

Tauranga blind woman Laura Eitjes has won a landmark out-of-court settlement after she was forced out of her accommodation unit because she had a guide dog.

Ms Eitjes, 36, has been awarded $8000 compensation for the emotional stress she experienced while holidaying two years ago with labrador Rua and a friend. MORE>>