Sheepdogs come to town

The sight of a working dog patiently herding sheep into a pen is something New Zealanders are well used to.

Visitors to Auckland got the chance to see it for themselves just a stone's throw from the city centre.

The TUX NZ Sheep Dog Trial Association Trans Tasman Test Series was held at Auckland Domain, giving city folk a chance to see the competition on their back doorstep for the first time.

Muddy conditions last Wednesday didn't bother the canine competitors though wet weather does make the sheep sluggish and difficult to work. MORE>>

Dogs have their day at festival's PAW contest

Dogs dressed as All Blacks, book characters and celebrities paraded in front of thousands of people at Bluebridge Family Finale at Founders Heritage Park yesterday.

The finale of the Nelson Arts Festival, which began on October 7, featured the annual Pet Art Wear (PAW) competition and a ukulele sing-along, as well as special guests Newtown Rock Steady and family entertainment.

Nelson City Council festival director Sophie Kelly said about 3000 people attended the finale – slightly fewer than previous years.

"That's OK. It was a really lovely day and everybody was very laidback and cruisy.

"It's such a nice way to finish the festival."

PAW compere Hans Andersen said the standard of entries was the highest he had ever seen.

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Concerns raised over new pound

Hundreds of stray dogs in Dunedin could soon be targeted by a private operator on a "seek-and-destroy mission", a Dunedin city councillor fears.

The concern was raised yesterday by Cr Richard Thomson, a dog-lover, after it was confirmed the Otago SPCA would cease housing stray dogs caught by the council's animal control team.

Otago SPCA chairwoman Sharon Lont wrote to the council last month to advise the existing dog pound on its property was no longer consistent with the SPCA's nationwide "saving lives" programme.

The programme sought to rehouse - rather than euthanise - as many animals as possible, and the perception was healthy animals were being euthanised at the Dunedin pound, she said.

The issue was raised at this week's community development committee meeting, council development services manager Kevin Thompson saying the council had one year to find a new operator to run a pound or build one of its own. MORE>>

Poet's guide dog changes her life

A good day in Michele Leggott's life is when she doesn't have to think about going blind. Olive, "a big drippy golden retriever with a look of `hi everybody' on her face", does that.

A former poet laureate and academic, Leggott's degenerative eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa, is rapidly taking her sight.

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Olive transformed her life. "They hand over fully trained Rolls-Royce dogs to someone who cannot drive them," she says.

A trainer with a lead on the dog shared the walks, until, one day, he quietly slipped his lead off. Leggott says it was like a dad letting go of the bike carrier when teaching a child to ride.

"The labradors and retrievers and the labrador-retriever-cross are the kind of Toyota of the fleet," she says. "They are good, easy to train, incredibly reliable. The alsatians and the poodles are the sports cars – highly strung, wonderful – but high performance cars and dogs, they take a lot of training, they reward you but they are high maintenance."

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Dog ban saddens owners

A ban on dogs in Takaka's shopping area is getting some dog owners irate.

The ban, under a Tasman District Council Dog Control Bylaw, has been in place for many years, but some dog owners say the bylaw is "too strict" and they should be permitted to walk their dogs on a leash through town.

But the situation is unlikely to change any time soon. Golden Bay Community Board chairwoman Carolyn McLellan said a survey by the board two years ago found the "majority" of people were against permitting dogs in the central shopping area.

"There are many cafes with tables outside and retailers put clothes rails outside their stores.

"We've had dogs eating food off tables and dogs lifting up their leg and urinating on clothes. We've had dogs urinating on the Village Green and then an hour later children are sitting on the grass having a picnic," Carolyn said.

She also highlighted the issue that some children and older people were afraid of dogs. MORE>>

This is a management problem... you can't just ban dogs! 

Fat people and animals make our nights exciting

OPINION: TV's getting really good, isn't it? 

Until recently, there weren't nearly enough shows about the obese on television. Now I think it's safe to say that there are. The newest discourse on the spate of obesity Westerners inflict on themselves, Embarrassing Fat Bodies, is brought to us by state-owned broadcaster TVNZ. This show combines all the fun of reveling in the misfortune of others with the thrill of discovering what ecosystems really lurk beneath a truly fat person's folds. Now we know.

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There are also plenty of reality shows, many proudly home-grown in New Zealand, just like a crop of truly excellent marijuana. There's Dog Patrol, which is about dog patrols, and Animal Patrol, which involves both animals and patrolling. However, given this tendency to name shows after their content, Animal Patrol might more correctly be called "Council Staff Take Neglected Pitbulls From Low-Lifes in Otara." 
 
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So true...

Dog owners should be tested for competency - board chair

Upper Harbour Local Board chair Brian Neeson says dog owners should undergo a competency test to prove they are responsible enough to look after their pet. Auckland Council is currently drafting its new dog control bylaws and is expected to consider a licensing requirement for owners, who have more than one dog. Mr Neeson, a former National Party MP told Nine to Noon the bylaws need to be updated and upgraded to ensure dog owners are competent. He said responsible dog owners would have no reason to fear registration or competency tests. Mr Neeson also said dog control officers currently don't have enough power to do their job effectively. Listen to more from Brian Neeson on Nine to Noon