These dogs get to have their day

It's a big day for Isabella and Enzo, a pair of uncommon pooches entering their first-ever championship dog show today.

The bouncy dogs are among the 100 breeds entered in this weekend's Nelson District Kennel Association Centenary Celebration Championship show.

The bergamasco sheepdogs are the first breeding pair of their type to be brought to New Zealand and their owner, Neil MacNeil, hopes their unique characteristics will see them take home a trophy or two.

The pair were bathed, groomed and taught to walk around the ring in preparation for the show, which has attracted 500 dogs from all over New Zealand.

Mr MacNeil said he liked the breed because they were hypoallergenic and didn't moult. His wife was "allergic to everything". The dogs' coat mats naturally and eventually grows into long dreadlocks. MORE>>

Holiday rush ends in a crawl

A bit of traffic and a hot engine wasn't going to stop Sheryll Conn from getting her two Great Danes to a Whangarei dog show.

But the brothers Duke and Topa, both 17 months old, along with Ms Conn and her neighbour Ange Ericksen, were forced to make a 90-minute pit stop yesterday when Ms Conn's Mitsubishi Delica overheated south of Pohuehue. MORE>>

Neighbours dispute dog massacre details

The neighbours involved in a dispute which led to 33 unregistered dogs being slaughtered in Wellsford have very differing views of what happened and why.

''They were screaming making sounds dogs just don't make. When one was gone, others knew they were next to go but they had nowhere to go."

That was the description from the owner of 33 dogs shot dead in what was a 20 minute massacre on a property near Wellsford north of Auckland after a dispute between neighbours.

The argument apparently came about after one neighbour, Russell Mendoza, discovered his fox terrier had been mauled to death by another animal.

Mendoza accused one of neighbour Rowan Hargreaves' 33 dogs of doing this. MORE>>

Related stories

Dog attacks: What you don't know(31./01/2010)

Owner "asked" for dogs to be killed(31/01/2010)
After reading this article, you'd wonder why they didn't ring the SPCA for their disputes. Somethings is going on which we don't know.... there's a story under this story

New twist in Wellsford dog massacre (31/01/10)
It's getting weirder by the day!
SPCA exhumes three bodies after dog slaughter (02/02/2010)

Pit bull breeders say moves to curb breed uninformed

Calls for pit bull terriers to be classified as "dangerous dogs" have been labelled an uninformed response by a breeders' group.

Local government authorities are calling for dogs that attack to be destroyed, breeders regulated by permit and pit bulls automatically classified as dangerous, after two children were mauled by pit bulls in separate attacks on Sunday. MORE>>

Slaughtered dogs would have cowered in fear - SPCA

The 33 dogs shot dead in what police have called a "bloody, rifle-killing frenzy" would have cowered in fear, says SPCA head, Bob Kerridge.

The dogs were shot following a row between neighbours on a rural property near Wellsford, North of Auckland.

Police and the SPCA were both investigating the shootings and Mr Kerridge said the dogs would have been terrified.

"It was a total massacre."

The dogs were shot after a fox terrier belonging to Russell Mendoza was killed and he blamed the death on or more of the 39 dogs kept on his neighbour Rowan Hargreaves' property. MORE>>

SPCA staff offered counselling after dog massacre

SPCA executive director Bob Kerridge said what staff saw was a turn-around of what they stood for and they were very emotional.

"Abuse to animals is totally contrary to how they feel," Mr Kerridge said today.

One of the men who shot the dogs ran a store advertising pet care.

Russell Mendoza and another man used a .22 calibre rifle and shotgun to shoot the dogs on Monday night, blaming one or more of them for the mauling death of Mr Mendoza's fox terrier. The slaughter included 23 pups and 10 adult dogs.

Mr Hargreaves described the dogs as his family and said he was in shock.

(...)

Mr Kerridge said the animals had been well looked after and neither the police, the SPCA nor the Rodney District Council had received any complaints about Mr Hargreaves' dogs.

"They were very, very healthy, very well cared for animals."

Woman distraught after her beagle disappears

The owner of lost beagle Kura hasn't slept since her five-year-old dog went missing from Rarangi on January 7.

Nicola Dennison left Kura with her mother at a Pukaka Valley property on January 2 after she moved from Palmerston North to Auckland, until she found a place which would allow her to keep a dog.

The only lead Ms Dennison had was a woman who said she saw a beagle fitting Kura's description with a middle-aged couple on Rarangi Beach Rd last Thursday.

Must be hard to differentiate Beagles.

Kura was tied up when she disappeared. "It's not in her nature to go away," she said. "It's weird that she would take off and not want to come back."If she was stolen, I'm not into pressing charges; I just want her back."

Well, you did move from one island to the next, she could have wandered. But hey, being tied up might be difficult to escape. A friend's dog was stolen from his property, so it does pay to keep your pets indoors when you go to work.

Sad that you have to do this though! The problem, of course, is that now designer dogs can fetch up to $2000+ . Better than stealing a cellphone.

Kura was wearing a purple and white collar with a Palmerston North registration, and unlike most beagles she does not have some black in her coat. There is a reward offered for her return. If you can help, call 021 864914.

This made the Malbourough News. I wonder if every lost dog gets this write-up?

Grant's pedal power raises $4000 for dog trust

Grant Southam has taken on the adventure of a lifetime for people needing a helping hand - or paw.

Over the holiday season, the Mt Albert resident cycled the 2400-odd kilometres from Cape Reinga to Bluff to raise more than $4000 for the Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust.

"Usually in about the middle of the year, I think about what I want to do for the holidays. I enjoy cycling, love our countryside and motorhoming so thought I'd combine all three of those."

Mr Southam's family travelled alongside him in a motorhome as far as Wellington, while he rode by himself, staying in motels, for most of the South Island leg of the trip.

While he trained for six months and lost the same amount of kilograms during the 27-day ride, the professional photographer says it was a truly amazing trip.

"It's a different experience travelling through New Zealand on a bike, especially when you stop - it's so quiet.

"You get up at 5am and start at first light, a good three hours before the tourists start and you get the beautiful scenery all to yourself."

The 51-year-old says it wasn't a hard decision to raise money for mobility dogs after finding out a family friend works for the trust.

"I wanted a charity beside me, but I didn't want a big charity that would just say,:'Thanks for the money'."

It costs $25,000 to train a dog to help disabled people with everyday chores from turning on light switches, to loading a washing machine and collecting a phone for their owner in an emergency.

The story of police dog Luke helps SPCA

The most significant moment of an ex-police officer’s career is also etched into the memories of many New Zealanders.

Jim Donald was a police dog handler when in October 1983 his working companion and beloved pet Luke was shot in downtown Auckland.

The incident propelled Luke to celebrity status, with intense public interest in the german shepherd’s recovery.

Now Luke’s life has been documented in a book written by Mr Donald’s wife Ella and published by the couple to help raise funds for the SPCA.

"It’s part of our social history," says Mr Donald.

Although police dogs had been shot before, the incident was televised and high profile.

MORE>>

Maulings spark call to train dog owners

Animal experts are urging improved education of dog owners form a major part of the Government's review on dog controls.

I'm glad they are listening to me!

(...)

A review of dog laws will begin in July, but Local Government Minister Rodney Hide said last year it will not be heavily influenced by the emotions surrounding high-profile individual dog attacks.

That's why National Party gave the dog portfolio to Mr Hide.

A spokesman for Mr Hide said the minister did not want the review to be reactive.

"We want to look at things in an objective, reasonable manner. Recent and subsequent dog attacks will be taken into account, but are only one factor."

gee, some common sense!

When the review was announced in October, Mr Hide said legislation was an "onerous muddle", and too much of it was created through emotion after dog maulings.

Yes, I was there when he said this.

He said the review needed to find a balance between public demands and owners' responsibilities, and he hoped councils would emphasise freedom, not restriction, in dog laws.

The problems are compounded when you put dogs on short leads, behind high fences. It's creates the very problems that we are trying to solve.

Jason Gardiner, a security guard who helped with the pickup of the Staffordshire crosses in Taneatua, said education was key to the review.

"You can't blame the breed, or ban certain breeds of dog, it just doesn't work. These animals had not had enough contact with people, and became defensive when they saw a new child. Dog owners need education." That's what I said too.

And have I got the Bite Prevention Programme for you!

New Zealand Kennel Club spokesman Phil Lyth said the Government's review needed more urgency - the association wanted it to be finished this year instead of next.

Mr Lyth supported National Party MP Simon Bridges' draft for a private member's bill which called for tougher penalties for wilful ill-treatment of animals. "Ill-treatment of animals can include the sort of neglect which leads to attacks on humans - it's not dissimilar territory."

Fat dogs can also be considered 'neglect' for the animal's welfare too. But hey, ... fat dogs can't attack.

Calls for tougher dog control laws re-ignited

A Wairoa toddler who nearly lost an eye in a pit bull attack will bear scars for the rest of her life, her surgeon says.

Yup, and I feel off my bike and I am wearing scares for life too! My scares remind me how stupid I was... but the toddler will wonder why that dog owner didn't socialise her dogs better!

The Government plans to review "ramshackle" dog laws next year, but the toddler's mauling on Sunday was the second on a young child that day. It has sparked renewed calls for tougher dog laws and bans on dangerous breeds.

Ya, that's really going to help!

(...)

ACC has paid out more than $10million in compensation and medical fees on nearly 50,000 dog bite claims in the past five years.

That's why we have ACC... we live in a civil society where we take care of each other, or so we want to think.

I'd like to know what the bill is for family violence? No point saying it's $10 million for dog attackes when in actual fact that is relatively little in comparison to, say, alcohol fueled violence on our society.

Margit Christensen, mauled for 15 minutes by eight pig dogs in August, said the Government needed to ban dangerous breeds and give dog controllers more authority. "I think they should be put down straight away."

But they are.

(...)

Dr Macdonald, who has operated on about four similar cases in the past seven years, is a dog lover with an old English mastiff "who's my best friend". "All the [dog attack injuries] I've seen have been by pit bulls."

So that proves it, does it?!

Tauranga District Council manager John Payne – a council dog control officer for 20 years – compiled details on dog attacks from 13 district councils for the past two years.

Unregistered dogs were more than eight times more likely to attack than registered dogs, according to his figures.

yes, and what does that tell us?

Mr Payne said menacing dogs – most of which were American pit bulls – accounted for 2.3 per cent of the dog population but 12.5 per cent of reported attacks.

Statistics are great but like they say... you can manipulate the numbers. Read paragraph below.

About three-quarters of dog bites were not reported because the animal was the family dog or known to the victim's family. "The amount of dog attacks reported to council is just miles off the dog attacks reported to ACC and hospitals."

How would they know that what the number is if it's unreported?!?

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide said he planned a major review of dog laws next year. Existing dog laws had evolved in "a ramshackle way" because they were passed in response to particular incidents. "What I want to know is ... have we got the laws right?"

And the review should be based on evidence and not through emotion. Why do I think it wouldn't be? Which politician will benefit espousing "Oh, but for the sake of our children?"

Move to speed up death sentences

A proposal to empower councils to destroy dangerous dogs without a court order is awaiting Government support, but there is resistance from dog owners.

Gee, I wonder why?

Invercargill City Council's plan would mean councils have the right to euthanise dogs they impound after attacks. Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) backs the proposal.

Of course the city council in Invercargill wants that. They think puppies are born killers!

Council animal control officers can shoot dead a dog only if they catch it in the act of attacking a person.

If the owner of a dog that attacks someone does not give permission for its destruction, the dog can be seized by the council and impounded, but a court order must then be sought for its destruction.

This sounds like 'innocent before proven guilty'

"That takes several months, and basically the animal takes up a bay in the pound ... for a considerable period of time," said Bill Watt, of the Invercargill City Council.

I understand the logistics in this. How many in actual fact are in the pound waiting for execution? And why does it take months to process. Why don't the City Council ask THAT question!

I seem to remember that someone broke in and stole their dog last year. Maybe they want to kill dogs without getting a court order because they can't contain the dogs!

We are suggesting where there has been an attack, and the dog is believed by the animal control officer to be dangerous, the local authority should be able to euthanise the dog, he said.

The bold up above is the worry. Sorry, but I don't trust someone just because they 'believe' something. Evidence based laws are required otherwise we 'let them lose to think they are judge, jury and executioner.'

The New Zealand Kennel Club is against councils having "carte blanche right to take dogs and destroy them".

"We don't believe councils should have autonomy in that area," said president John Perfect.

I'm glad someone thinks the same as me!

LGNZ president Lawrence Yule said his organisation would lobby the Government to adopt the proposal.

Take our tax dollars for this ?! Hum.. wouldn't it be better spent educating the public about dogs. They live in our society. A lot of people seem to like them a lot!

While some people would be worried about the rights of the dog, a "hell of a lot of New Zealanders will be worried about the rights of people".

I'm very worried about the rights of people too! When someone is arrested and charge for public speaking... that's a worry.

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide will consider the proposal as part of a review of dog laws next year.

Thank god Rodney met a woman that has dogs and is now sharing his life with the family!

Mammoth surgery after dog attack

A five-year-old girl attacked by a dog in Whakatane yesterday is still undergoing surgery after doctors worked through the night to treat her facial injuries.

The girl was flown to Waikato Hospital with multiple cuts to her face after she was attacked while visiting friends or family yesterday afternoon.

The surgical team were still in theatre and her condition was not yet known, Waikato Hospital spokeswoman Mary Anne Gill said.

TVNZ reported that the girl was visiting neighbours with her mother when the dogs set upon her.

Whakatane District Council spokesman Barney Dzowa said that about 1pm the neighbour let their female pitbull and male pitbull mastiff-cross out of their kennel in the backyard and they immediately set upon the child.

territorial guarding.... these dogs probably didn't get their daily walks!! How sad for everyone.

The dogs are due to be destroyed today.

Bull mastiff crossbreed that bit two men had history of attacks on dogs

A 60kg bull mastiff crossbreed that mauled two men and a dog at a Wellington school had attacked other dogs in the past.

The animal was put down yesterday after it attacked a labrador-cross dog and the man out walking it at Rongotai College sports field on Thursday morning.

Former All White Stu Jacobs, who was teaching children to play football on the field, was bitten on his leg, arm and hand when he stepped in to help separate the fighting dogs. The labrador's owner was also bitten.

Wellington City Council is still considering prosecuting the owner, but Mr Jacobs said he had to be punished.

"Animal control officers spoke to him and he had no understanding of how much damage the dog's done. He just took his dog away without speaking to any of us . . . he's a coward really."

He was probably scared actually.

(...)

Les Dalton, president of the New Zealand Institute of Animal Control Officers, said the number of dog attacks had decreased in the past two years.

interesting... or is it that there has been less reporting of them?

Those that did attack tended to be unregistered and were often not neutered, he said.

Being neutered doesn't mean that the dog is less dangerous. That's a myth. If the dog has been well socialised, having their balls on or off doesn't make a huge difference. There are lots of bitches that fight, and they've been spayed.

"The bull mastiff cross [involved in the Wellington attack] may have been protecting its territory and bit people in the confusion. It may never have attacked a person in its life."That's correct! but because it's a former sport player, the media dive into this one...

Separating fighting dogs was highly risky and people, including dog controllers, tended to get bitten.

I suppose the dog owner of the mastiff thought that if that guy didn't try to break up the fight, his dog wouldn't have bitten a human, and wouldn't have need to be put down. You never, EVER try to break up a dog fight. Walk away and call you dog. Walk away so that your dog doesn't think he has to protect you (it's the other dog that you have to worry about)

But Dominion Bullmastiff Club spokeswoman Sharron Mischefski defended pure breed bull mastiffs as "gentle giants". They were often confused with pit bulls but were not by nature aggressive, she said.

Before anyone jumps on me, I'm not supporting the owner of the dog that attacked... I'm just allowing some other points of view which the media sometimes don't always consider. But a dog that attacks another dog because, perhpas, he thinks he has to defend its territory means that the dog owner hasn't done the right thing in teaching his dog how to live in our society....

MORE>>

Doggie day out

The Lynton Downs School Field Day and TUX Handy Dog Competition, sponsored by Nestle Purina Petcare, were held on Sunday January 10 at various points around the Lynton Downs area.

As in previous years the event proved a popular day with a good number of entries, with competitors from across the district, including others from South Canterbury to Takaka.

With 70 entries in the two hunt courses and a further 55 in each of the heading courses, organisers were pleased with the turnout.

The day is held as the main fundraiser for Lynton Downs School, and the Kaikoura Collie Dog Club puts it together each year for the school. In return, the school helps the Collie Club with their main trials later in the year in May. School principal Lance Percy said it was always a great fundraiser for the school and this year was no exception. MORE>>

Greyhound crusade

Dog enthusiast Lisa East is on a crusade to find homes for lovable, ex-racing greyhounds.

The Kaukapakapa resident says the retired animals make wonderful pets.

She hopes her stall at the Helensville A & P Show on February 27 encourages others to adopt.

Lisa took on two dogs from the charitable trust Greyhounds As Pets in 2008 and hasn’t looked back

"They are really smoochy and so laid back," Lisa, 51, says.

"Affectionate, gentle and fantastic with children.

"We’d love to find them all homes." MORE>>

Judge's swipe at `3-strikes' law

Christchurch District Court Judge David Saunders had an offender with a long record in the dock on a burglary charge.

But he was concerned that the proposed law change could lead to an unavoidable 10-year jail term for what looked to be a minor offence.

The 29-year-old unemployed Northcote man was seeking bail and the judge granted it in spite of the police opposition.

(...)

Judge Saunders commented: ''This case points to the failure of the ACT policy if this charge were proved. He might likely face 10 years' jail for going into a dog shelter.

Some people would say that this guy would have been in jail before this happened as he had so many convictions.

I thought prison was for rehabilitation... a real shame that the government isn't doing what is evidence based as opposed to hysteria...

''At $100,000 a year to keep someone in prison, one can imagine the huge cost to the country for something that is relatively minor. A judge might not be allowed to grant parole.''

''America's arrived, Sir,'' Mr Knowles commented. It is a sad day indeed! But perhaps we can elect another goverment, and get rid of this pandering-to-fear law!

The man was released on bail with a curfew at his home, and forbidden to go to the dog pound _ meaning that someone else will have to arrange to get his dog freed.

MORE>>

Special dog trained to help

Vader the huntaway-staffordshire cross is a rare breed - he's one of only three search and rescue dogs in Auckland. Reporter Hannah Norton finds out how valuable he is in a crisis.

When a house collapsed on a group of workers at Manurewa Marae in June this year Auckland's only two search and rescue dogs sprang into service.

One person had already died and another four were missing.

Initially the dogs checked the perimeter of the collapsed house then underneath it where people were believed to be trapped.

The dogs are trained to bark when they find people alive so when one of the dogs started whining it was a sign it had found another person dead.

Senior firefighter and Urban Search and Rescue search dog association president Brendon Irwin says the dogs are invaluable in locating trapped people. MORE>>

Has your dog got what it takes to become and reach and rescue dog? Dogs must be:

• Healthy, energetic and able to cope with the stress of being around many other dogs, handlers, rescue workers and the noise and confusion of a rescue site
• Between 18 months and three years old
• Non-aggressive and not classified as a menacing breed in the Dog Control Act.

For information email searchdogs@usar.org.nz

Woman and pet reunited after two years

The owner of an American pit bull terrier has been reunited with her pet – missing for more than two years – after dog control officers found it had been microchipped twice.

The dog disappeared at eight months old from outside a Wellington address in May 2007 after it wandered out a communal gate that was left open.

The dog was found wandering in Kapiti recently and picked up by dog control officers and taken to the pound. An officer there realised it had been microchipped twice and was able to reunite the pet with its original owner. MORE>>

Home wanted for canine hero down on his luck

From the day he was picked up as a puppy from the Gisborne SPCA, labrador-cross John-Boy has known nothing but love and constant attention.

Four years later he is back at the Matawhero SPCA haven waiting for a new home.

John-Boy was brought in four months ago when his 86-year-old owner Fong Wong had a stroke and was forced to move to a rest home in Auckland.

Wong's nephew, Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon, said his uncle was concerned for the welfare of his furry friend.

"He doesn't want the dog to be put down. He hopes it will find a loving home and has given the SPCA a sizeable donation to help look after it."

MORE>>

Obedience, agility more important than looks

Even the pugs will be on show at the Southland Dog Training Club's annual dog agility and rally obedience events, to be held in Invercargill this weekend.

Club president Rae Evans said border collies, heading dogs and kelpies were the most common breed choices when it came to dog agility and obedience competitions, but the contest was open to anybody.

Most dogs this year were returning participants from the past, she said.

"A lot of people come back. They come to our shows because they're fairly relaxed and a bit of fun."

MORE>>

Rottweilers kill fox terrier in vicious attack

A search in underway for the owners of two Rottweilers that viciously attacked and killed a small fox terrier in Wainuiomata.

Fox terrier Suzie was being walked on a leash just metres from the home of her owner's sister-in-law yesterday morning when the two large dogs attacked.

Suzie's owner Dianne Belworthy says she never stood a chance and there was no warning.

‘There was no growling like some dogs would just probably growl and then maybe attack just to play. But this was ‘I want to kill that dog’. The whole mouth just went on her body; it pierced both sides of her body,” she says.

Hutt City Council dog control officers have seized the dogs and are hunting for the Rottweilers' owners – Its likely the animals will be destroyed.

That is very un-dog like, not to growl... sounds like someone didn't take care of these dogs in puppy hood.

We had a dog that just rushed and attacked our dog once the owner took the lead off his dog.

Our dog was doing his own thing and running to keep up to me (ran in front of the dog) while the owner was having a hard time holding onto, and controlling his dog. We were some metres away when he let his dog off lead. The dog be-lined to our dog... The guy had a tennis ball thinking that this was enough to distract him from our dog! He should have known that his dog was in attack mode- why'd he let him off his lead when he did so?

How my dog managed to get away without any damage, I'll never know.

Drowned dog found tied to weight

A dog was tied to a 10kg weight and drowned near a Wellington beach in what the SPCA says is "the most severe case" of animal cruelty this year.

The bloated body of the tan-coloured mastiff-type cross was found on the shore near Titahi Bay on Monday night.

A collar with a green weight attached was found nearby, the Dominion Post reported. MORE>>

Elderly JD may be top dog

Is JD the oldest dog in Dunedin, perhaps Otago, or maybe even New Zealand?

In his 19 years, the golden retriever/"some black dog" cross has worked on building sites, lived in Sydney, suffered the indignity of a full-body shave, survived cancer and has watched his human family grow from one to four.

JD's owner, David McNeill, credits his longevity to love and fitness.

"Right from day one, he's always been a mate. He's part of the family."

Gardens Vet Clinic veterinarian Russell Brown said it was "extremely rare" for a dog to live to such an age. MORE and to see a picture of the dog >>

Sad end to dog of a life

Heinous mistreatment of a pit bull cross, abandoned with a narrow collar that dug into her flesh as she grew, highlights a danger for even loving pet owners, according to Hutt City animal control.

The animal was found last week in the possession of an old woman - not her owner - who got the collar off, leaving gaping wounds.

Hutt animal control officer Virginia van Dooren says the injuries are the worst of its kind she has ever seen.

"It's shocking, very bad. We think the owners ran off - one is in jail - and this poor girl was running around the streets with a bleeding neck."

(...)

Animal control officers regularly see dogs with collars that are too tight. "It's the first thing I check," she says. "People forget that their dogs grow, and they neglect to get a bigger collar. "They just leave their first one on permanently, when they should remove it now and then."

MORE>>

Do dogs improve the neighbourhood?

Do dogs, and dog owners, make a city better? Are the human benefits of dog ownership wider than just the health and happiness of the owners? Does the dog get a bad rap, environmentally speaking?

I've been pondering these things since reading an exchange of articles on the subject among some US writers. MORE>>

She's written a great article ... and ponders why we in NZ don't value or rather regards "the dog" as ''value added" in our society.

Industrious little spot where dog tax sparked 'war'

(....)

Ngapuhi academic Dr Pat Hohepa calls Rawene home.

It was the centre of one of the last Pakeha/Maori conflicts of the 19th century, ostensibly because of dogs.

In the 1890s, a dog tax of two shillings and sixpence (25c) was introduced. Dr Hohepa said that Maori from Kaikohe west to the harbour, including Waima's Hone Toia, were vehemently opposed to paying it - not only because many used their animals for hunting but because tax represented the erosion of tino rangatiratanga (chieftainship).

"He [Toia] said, 'Firstly they're going to tax dogs and then they're going to tax people.' He saw that connection."

The stand-off occurred in April 1898 when an armed Toia with fewer than 20 men marched on Rawene. Although no blood was shed, the government sent a force 120-strong to the town. Toia was arrested and served time in Mt Eden Prison.

The Dog Tax War will feature when Ngapuhi's Treaty claim is heard this year.

Dog owners face prosecution over attacks

The owners of two dogs that have been terrorising cats in Burwood face prosecution.

Christchurch City Council animal control officers had to ask for police help yesterday when they attempted to take the two dogs from a Parish St address.

Mark Vincent, the council's animal control team leader, said the dogs' owners "had not been co-operative" and had moved the animals.

The animal control officers had initially located the dogs after several vicious attacks that left one cat dead and several injured.

They had planned to remove the dogs as part of an investigation into the attacks.

A nearby resident, who declined to be named, was sitting in her lounge last Thursday night when she saw two dogs attack her cat.

"I heard a scream like I've never heard before, and I ran outside and saw two dogs," the resident said.

Eventually both dogs ran off, but with no sign of her cat, the woman searched the neighbourhood.

Three hours later, she found the cat had escaped up a tree. "I was in tears when I saw my cat," she said. MORE>>

thanks god for trees! works for bears too...

Owners like these give the breed and dog owners a bad name.

Injuries and illness keep after-hours vet staff busy

Like their owners, pets have after-hours medical dramas. KEITH LYNCH spent a night at the Christchurch After Hours Veterinary Clinic, which provides emergency care for Canterbury's pets.

Despite a rather fetching pink coat, Zuuka isn't a happy cat.

He is under observation at the Christchurch After Hours Veterinary Clinic after being attacked by two dogs. The small pink coat isn't for fashion - Zuuka has serious wounds to his abdomen.

It's just after 8.30pm and staff at the Disraeli St clinic are very busy, with vet Andrew Hay, three nurses and a veterinary student all on duty.

Zuuka is sitting glumly in an oxygen tank.

Carlin, a cavalier king charles spaniel that ate a plant, is in the waiting room.

The nurses are also monitoring a sad-looking cat called Chloe, which has cancer and is on a course of chemotherapy drugs.

In one of the rooms, Hay speaks to the family of Riley, a dog hit by a car. MORE>>

Nice to read something positive about animals in the newspaper...

Solvent poured on dog

Can you help? for those living in Invercargill....

A dog has had solvent poured on its back, probably while its hind legs were tied together to immobilise it, and the Invercargill SPCA needs your help to track down those responsible.

The dog was found in Otatara, burnt, bloodied and peeling after having a solvent poured over it.

The staffordshire cross, believed to be about 10, was found on Thursday with its hind legs tied with nylon rope.

The SPCA was called to retrieve the dog, which was at first believed to have been hit by a car but later found to have had a liquid solvent poured over it, burning its hair and skin.

Invercargill SPCA shelter manager Mary Bradley said she was not jumping to conclusions about what had happened to the dog. It could have been an accidental spill but she was certain the dog did not receive the injury by itself.

MORE>>

Dog owners ignore Sumner beach no-go rules

People violating bylaws by letting their dogs roam are causing problems on Sumner beach.

Under the Christchurch City Council's Dog Control Bylaw 2008, dogs are banned from Christchurch beaches between 9am and 7pm from December 1 to March 1.

Sumner Residents' Association spokeswoman Adrienne Jackson said dogs were on the beach "virtually every day".

"It's a very mixed issue among the community," she said. "Some of the residents are dog owners and walk them along there, while others want the beach to be free of them."

Most dog problems came when they were let off their leashes, she said.

Dogs soiling on the beach was of particular concern in summer when families were at the beach, she said. MORE>>

The more rules a society has, the more people are going to break them. Civil society goes out the window. Somehow, breaking a rule is fun... it's the naughty thing to do. Be careful what rule you put in place because inevitably it will be broken (and city coffers get filled).

Treating adults like children just pisses adults off...

Like I said... where's civil society? people should respect other people's space, not BECAUSE it's the law and you might get fined, but BECAUSE it's the right thing to do!

Dog-attack victim blames owner

Her eye had to be stitched open, her cheekbone was broken, several of her teeth were crushed and she has no feeling on the left side of her face.

But Christine Breen says she has nothing against the dog that savaged her face - her anger is directed rather at the owner who made the animal that way - and she will continue to help get animals off the streets.

MORE>>

yup... and these are the dogs that the dog pound officers work hard at controlling. Education about dog ownership is so important, but at the same time, these owners and the owners in this story wouldn't have even known about any thing like this. They live in their own little world, autistic to what's around them... how do we get through to these ones?

Summertime and the living is definitely not easy

OPINION: It's the season of porkies, when people tell outrageous fibs about how wonderful summer used to be in the mythical Kiwiland when they were kids, and try to make us believe them.

Fact: summer is a mixed bag of fine days and floods, and needing warm pullovers more often than anyone admits. Fib: summer is endless blue skies and icecreams at the beach. What - with sand blown into them?

_____________

While Rosemary McLeod talks about how she "doesn't buy the Kiwi camping holiday for a minute," my comment at the bottom of her online column is below.

"The ideal camping is FREE camping because you can then bring your dog.

This country is so anti-dog and now that Christchurch has been amalgamated with Banks Peninsula, the chch city rules towards dogs apply.

What does this mean? It means that in the middle of nowhere, on the beach, you can't bring your dog on a holiday camping. Okains Bay... huge place down a valley with nothing around except for a few houses, and a NO DOGS SIGN on the BEACH rigidly enforced, let alone near the CAMPGROUND ground.

It makes my blood boil how the kiwi holiday is now turning into a stay-at-home holiday because a lot of us consider our pets part of our family.

At the Companion Animal Conference in Auckland (2009), The Hon. Rodney Hide (Minister for local government) understood the importance that our dogs have in our lives and promoted a wholesale review of NZ's 'dog laws' and an earnest commitment to funding research into valuing and managing our companion animals. "

Pet-loving campers upset by council's no-dogs bylaw

Dog-loving campers at the Amberley Beach Camp say their holiday has been ruined by council enforcement of a little-known bylaw.

For 14 years Christchurch couple Ned and Jean Moir have stayed at the Hurunui District Council-owned North Canterbury camping ground with their dogs.

The couple have a toy poodle and a chihuahua.

This holiday, for the first time, they were told their dogs were not allowed.

Fellow camper Sue Nevin, of Kaiapoi, said she rang the council in November to check whether dogs were welcome at the ground and was told they were allowed.

As a result, Nevin and her husband, Jim, chose the Amberley Beach Camp for their first camping holiday in their new caravan.

But when they arrived on Christmas Eve, campers told them a dog-control officer had visited the ground and that they had been given 24 hours notice to remove their dogs.

As Nevin had been told dogs were welcome, the couple decided to stay.

However, they had kept their maltese and maltese chihuahua in the caravan.

"Trying to keep two little dogs inside in 35 degrees ... that's not a holiday. We want to know where we stand. I was told it was fine [to have dogs]."

(...)

However, the council's dog control officer had received several complaints about dogs at the camping ground during the latest holiday period, he said.

"I'm not aware of complaints down there in previous years," he said.

Feierabend said campers were given a day to take their dogs home. He conceded there could be confusion if there was a sign in just one area, and more signs would be erected.

For a country that has grown and flourished because of dogs and the working dog... this is just getting my goat.

New Zealand is NOT DOG FRIENDLY.

For those people who want to immigrate to NZ, and think that we are GREEN and WELCOMING of all things with four legs, you are wrong!

This country has adopted new measures of surveying us, by the way...

" New cyber-monitoring measures have been quietly introduced giving police and Security Intelligence Service officers the power to monitor all aspects of someone's online life.

The measures are the largest expansion of police and SIS surveillance capabilities for decades, and mean that all mobile calls and texts, email, internet surfing and online shopping, chatting and social networking can be monitored anywhere in New Zealand. MORE>> "

What does this have to do with dogs?.... new powers, less freedom... life in general.

We are slowly being monitored, being complained about, being told what to do, where to do it, and how to do it. Dog officials telling us where to walk our dog, where we can sleep with our dogs, and what time to walk on dogs (beach signs)

No wonder our dogs are going crazy and now need dog sitters, dog walkers, dog psychologists, dog behaviouralists... it a reflection of our society.

And they called it puppy love

It's never too late in life to do something you've always dreamed about, as Edith Schofield discovers when she gets her first dog at age 35. She has had lots of cats and a few horses, but nothing is quite so rewarding, or exasperating, as owning a dog.

No matter how bad my day has been, it puts a smile on my face every time.

Having somebody so glad to see you when you get home their whole rear end waggles.

I just can't believe it took me 35 years to discover this is just one of the great things about owning a dog. MORE>>

Nice article about how her life changed by owning a four-legged- fur friend....

Well, she'll also learn that her holidays will now be curbed because our country is getting a bit fearful of all-things-dog.

A Gisborne pet dog has dug up a grenade that has the firing pin in place - an army ammunitions expert is on the way

A pet dog in Gisborne has sparked a police call out after digging up an unexploded grenade.

The dog made the discovery around midday today and the residents at the address put the grenade in their laundry and immediately called Police.

Police have called in an army ammunitions expert from Trentham.

They say the grenade is extremely old, quite corroded and still has the firing pin in place.

Adopt Me: Look beyond brindle and there's a fun-loving pup

The Herald's annual series SPCA Adopt Me is now running. Each day a different animal available for adoption at the SPCA will be featured in the paper.

Paxton is a fun-loving Staffordshire-cross puppy who is looking for a reliable owner to provide him a friendly home.

The 12-week-old, with his eight brothers and sisters, was surrendered to the SPCA in October.

Four of Paxton's litter have been adopted, while five remain at the village.

Canine attendant Barbara Shakeshaft says Paxton is "quite cool", although being a brindle he might face a long wait for adoption because they are one of the least-popular types of dogs that go up for adoption. MORE>>

Bluff or bust for tired cyclist

Midway through cycling the length of New Zealand, Grant Southam is "knackered".

Fortunately, he has a rest today as he crosses Cook Strait on the ferry. Mr Southam, who is raising money for the Mobility Dogs charity, cycled through Palmerston North on Saturday, on his long ride from Cafe Reinga to Bluff.

He told the Manawatu Standard that he had had a strong wind behind him from Wanganui to Palmerston North, but then had to turn into the wind to cycle to Foxton.

"I was going not much more than walking speed, in first gear," he said.

(...)

Mr Southam has raised about $1700 for Mobility Dogs so far.

It costs $25,000 to train up one dog.

Donations can be made through Mr Southam's website, southamcyclessouth.com.

Apparently they were also on National TV.. great news for Mobility Dogs.

I'm teaching a dog who's owner is in a wheelchair. I can't quit remember why the owner can't qualify for a dog through Mobility Dogs (I suspect it's because the disease was from childhood and that it wasn't in adult life). This owner got lucky, the dog is so smart and focused. He has learned how to pick up objects from the ground, and with my help is now proceeding to open doors...

Yes, if you are in a wheelchair and can't wait for a trained dog through this organisation, there are ways you can train your own dog...

http://sdog.danawheels.net/ot-adog.shtml

MP seeks crackdown on cruelty to animals

A first-term National Party MP is seeking cross-party support for a law change for harsher penalties in cases of extreme cruelty to animals.

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges has drafted a private member's bill to raise the maximum penalty for wilful ill-treatment under the Animal Welfare Act from three to five years in prison.

Mr Bridges said tougher penalties for animal abuse were backed by research showing cruelty to animals was an early warning sign of more psychopathic violence later in life. MORE>>

Do animals feel pain? Savages, Drunks and Lab Animals: The Researcher's Perception of Pain Very interesting article about the use of anesthetic drugs on humans and why some humans were considered animals. Does this have anything to do with the new member's bill? What do you think?

Trapped dog doing well after rescue

Floss the huntaway cross dog is lapping up plenty of affection and water after being rescued her from a locked car in south Auckland on Christmas Day.

The dog was spotted in the locked Ford Fairmont car in Otahuhu by a member of the public on Christmas Eve.

The windows were slightly ajar and the man thought nothing more of it until he went back on Christmas Day and found the dog still in the car, with the temperature rising to dangerously high levels.

Horrified Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) staff broke into the car to rescue the distressed dog and give it water.

They also gave her a new name, Floss, as they tried to find her owner.

Floss was trying to crawl under the front seat to get out of the heat when she was rescued, with the temperature inside the car well over 40 degrees, SPCA inspector Vicki Border told the New Zealand Herald. MORE>>

Search dog Zinzan a 'natural'

The first time she saw him she knew he was the one. And two years later they made it official.

Bridget Martin and German Shepherd Zinzan recently qualified as an NZ LandSAR dog search team, the only civilian combination covering Greater Auckland and northwards.

The pair have not been called out yet, but Mrs Martin always has a bag packed and 1-year-old son Harrison's grandmother on babysitting standby. MORE>>