HNZ tenant faces eviction over dog

A woman who has lived in the same Housing New Zealand (HNZ) home for 15 years may be evicted if she does not find a new home for her dog by the end of the day.

Manurewa resident Nga Behekite says she is upset and stressed after being ordered to get rid of her pet Spiky because she doesn't have HNZ approval, despite having had a dog at the house for the past 13 years.

HNZ says it has no record of a dog at the property, despite regular inspections.

Behekite said she finds it hard to believe the state landlord did not know.

"In 1997 when I first moved here I asked HNZ if it was OK to bring my dog here and they said it was all right. And when the repairmen come they always ask 'do you have a dog?' and they ask me to tie it up.

"I got a shock when the lady told me I have to move him straight away. He's not a rubbish bag l just throw away. He's a family member."  Under Human Rights Act, if your dog is part of your family, then he can't be order to go!

HNZ's South Auckland tenancy manager Denise Fink said Behekite did not get to have a dog at the property and nor was there any record of one being there.  

"As there is a dog at the property without our permission, we have issued the tenant with a remedy notice which requests  the dog to be removed by May 31.

"Tenants are not allowed to keep pets or other animals at the premises unless they have asked us formally and we have agreed.
 
"We have discussed this matter with the tenant and even if permission is sought, it is unlikely it would be given in this case."

Behekite said Spiky kept her, and her neighbourhood, safe.

Her home, which backs on to Rowandale Reserve, has been burgled twice in 15 years, but not on Spiky's watch.

"If you take my dog away and someone burgles our house, will HNZ give my stuff back? I don't think so.

"Young ones drink in the park so my dog is good security."

Hasmukh Patel, owner of neighbouring Rowandale Superette, also doesn't want to see Spiky go.

"Newspapers and bread used to go missing from behind my shop because people would jump over the fence. But since she's had the dog the stealing has stopped. And if the dog goes, we'll have the same problem.

"I told Nga, if she wants we can do a petition because the dog is security for us."

HNZ says it will lodge an application with the Tenancy Tribunal to resolve the issue through mediation if the dog isn't removed by today.

But in the meantime Behekite is holding on to the hope that she can keep her dog.

Dog trainer out to get jump on Aussies

Any chance to beat the Australians is worth a bash for Warrington dog agility trainer Louise Marsh. Mrs Marsh, who is married to an Australian, left Dunedin yesterday with Border collies Vino (7) and Fly (4) en route to compete at the Australian Agility Nationals in Sydney.

A member of the Taieri Canine Training Club, Mrs Marsh started dog agility training about eight years ago.

 Her latest victory was at the New Zealand national championships last October, when Vino won his height category and an overall agility title. MORE>>

Age means nothing to either man or dog at championships

Dog-trialling duo Les Roughan and Prince are 100 not out. Mr Roughan, of Gore, and Prince have been competing at the South Island and New Zealand sheep dog trial championships at Alpha Burn Station near Wanaka this week.

 "We're a good old pair. There wouldn't be many 12-year-old dogs [here]. I think I would definitely be the oldest competitor here. It doesn't worry me, anyway," the spritely octogenarian said. While Prince was being retired from trialling after this week's competition, there were no such plans for Mr Roughan to relinquish the sport.
MORE>>

Dogs called out after wig theft

The police dog handler was in action yesterday afternoon when a man did a runner after stealing a wig from a Greymouth shop.

Realising he had been caught in the act, the 20-year-old Westport man dropped the wig in the shop and ran off.

Shop staff gave police a description of the man and the dogs were called in. The dog located the man's clothing dumped on the floodwall, where police said he had made a quick change in an attempt to disguise himself. MORE>>

Oliver's a therapy dog

He must be one of Remuera's busiest volunteers, giving up four days a week to bring a bit of joy into people's lives.

This 40kg bundle of fluff is a bernese mountain dog named Oliver.

The bernese is a particularly friendly, loyal breed that loves to be around people – which is what makes Oliver such a good pet therapy dog.

He and his owner Happy Scherer visit residents at Caughey Preston rest home in Remuera on Mondays.

"He's just the right height for wheelchairs. He doesn't jump up and he doesn't lick.

"Kids can climb all over him and pull his tail and he doesn't really care," Mrs Scherer says.

Oliver visits the Ranfurly Care centre in Epsom on Tuesdays. It's a facility for people with intellectual disabilities and has a day programme as well as permanent care. The dog spends an hour with the students in the activity centre.

"Oliver's been helping one guy settle in who is a new resident here. He had a dog at home and so he enjoys taking Oliver for a walk around the block," Mrs Scherer says. MORE>>

Hounds goes to the dogs

It was Ryan Hutchings' birthday a few years ago and he thought a flutter and a few jars at the greyhounds might be a good way to bond with the lads.

After a few too many bourbons they ended up buying a dog and - not that he knew it back then - the writer and director also had the beginnings of a television series.

"We fell in love with the place," he says of the greyhound track beside the cycling velodrome in Manukau. "And we had this greyhound so we kept going back to watch it race and there are so many interesting characters out there and we knew it would be a great place to set a TV series."

While Hutchings and his mates at Auckland production company the Downlow Concept, who are also the creators of Friday night's 7 Days, got their slow-burning comedy series Hounds up and running, the dog they invested in was not so successful.  MORE on NZ Herald>>

Schoolboy goes into bat for beaten dog

Wellington SPCA are hailing a young boy who saved a dog that was being attacked with a cricket bat.

On Thursday afternoon, Damon Boyer-Marwood, 12, was walking home from Brandon Intermediate School in Cannons Creek when he heard an animal yelping.

He investigated and found a group of several boys around his age attacking a small female terrier cross dog.

The boys were holding the dog down and taking turns to kick it.

One of the boys also had a cricket bat and was hitting the dog with it, a Wellington SPCA spokesman said.

Damon told the group of boys to leave. "They stood there for a bit, then they ran inside."

He said he did not think it was fair that the boys were hitting Rose.

Damon took the dog to a friend's house, before calling the SPCA.  MORE>>

Man guilty of neglect after dog dies

A Howick dog owner has pleaded guilty to severely neglecting an Airedale terrier which was so unwell it had to be put down.

Adam Olmstead, 43, changed his plea to guilty in the Manukau District Court after initially denying knowledge of his dog's deteriorated condition.

SPCA staff were called to the man's property on New Year's Day 2011 and found the terrier in great discomfort.

The terrier was found lying in its own faeces in the garden, severely weak, dehydrated and unable to walk.

Both eyes were infected with conjunctivitis and the left ear was seriously infected. The dog had a large, ruptured tumour beneath the right ear. MORE>>

Woman's $7000 best friend

Many pet owners would give the world for their pets, but Natasha Coulter, of Claremont, travelled it for hers.

Ms Coulter brought her pyrenean shepherd to Timaru from Sweden, costing her upwards of $7000. It might seem extreme, but to Ms Coulter, a dog enthusiast and agility competitor, Euro was worth every cent.

"We called him Euro because he cost lots of them," Ms Coulter said.
The pricey pooch was such good value for money that Ms Coulter is importing another two in October, one of which she plans to breed from.

"It will be nice to have a wife for him," she said. "But they have tiny little litters – you'd never recoup your money."

There are no breeders in New Zealand, but a few other pyrenean shepherds have been imported.
MORE>>

Lap-of-luxury dog pound almost complete

Invercargill's new $600,000 Dog Hilton, featuring underfloor heating, collapsible beds and a sunlit courtyard, is nearing completion.

Some city councillors had misgivings about the cost of the city's new dog pound before work started last year, with Cr Norman Elder suggesting the dogs would have better accommodation than 50,000 quake-ravaged Christchurch residents.

His comments appear to be not far off the mark.

The Southland Times visited the under-construction 27-kennel dog pound yesterday.
Each of the roomy kennels will be fitted with a collapsible bed, four of the kennels will have underfloor heating for the privileged smaller dogs to enjoy, and the canines will get to stretch their legs in a sunlit courtyard. A side room will allow for the dogs to be microchipped and receive healthcare. MORE>>

Wanted: Animals with talent and humans too

The backers of the New Zealand's Got Talent show want more animal antics.

The call came yesterday as auditions moved to Wellington a week after a dog won the talent show's British equivalent.

Ashleigh Butler, 17, scooped $1 million in prize money when her performing pooch Pudsey triumphed on Britain's Got Talentlast weekend. Butler has been offered millions of dollars more in sponsorship deals from pet food and equipment companies.

New Zealand's Got Talent, hosted by Tamati Coffey, is at present auditioning contestants around the country. The series is due to be screened on TVNZ this year.  MORE>>

'Miracle recovery' dog ready to be loved

An emaciated dog found bleeding from her ears, eyes full of conjunctivitis and locked in a faeces-filled garage is up for adoption.

After her ordeal, Coecoe the crossbred boxer just wants a loving new home.

SPCA Auckland has been taking care of her since last July, when a neighbour reported the dog wasn't being treated properly by its owner.

An inspector found Coecoe locked inside a garage, suffering from a number of ailments and weighing 16.5kg - just over half what she should have weighed. Her claws were also overgrown from lack of exercise.  MORE>>

Dogs break rules on west Auckland beach

Five-year-old Murphy Bates and his 3-year-old brother, Owen, are carefully picking their way through the 10-minute walk to Kakamatua Inlet in the Waitakere Ranges.

The shadowy bush gives way to beautiful blue sky and a wide sandy beach. Being a weekday, it is very quiet with very few people walking their dogs. Still, the boys are wary, having encountered dogs barking excitedly at them on a previous outing.

"It was a Sunday when we were here and were constantly harassed by dogs that were off their leashes," says their mum, Clare. "One woman has shouted to me, 'Grab your children!' Her dog was really running, bounding actually, towards Owen."

Mrs Bates is concerned that there is a misconception that Kakamatua Beach is an off-the-leash area, despite a clear sign at the entrance advising otherwise.  MORE>>

Guilty verdict over dog massacre

One of two men today found guilty over the shooting of 33 dogs has been described as a "gun-happy cowboy".

Tony Campbell and Russell Mendoza were found guilty of four counts of wilful ill-treatment and one of reckless use of a firearm in the Auckland District Court following a three week trial.

They were charged over the killing of 23 puppies and 10 adult dogs at a rural Wellsford property in January 2010.

Judge Mary Beth Sharp said it was not relevant for Campbell to describe himself as safe and careful when out hunting, as those actions were "certainly" not displayed on the day the dogs were shot.  more>>

Owner found guilty over dog attack

A man charged after his dog bit a stranger who touched its nose protruding from under his closed front gate has been found guilty.
what??

 Des Hughes, 41, was prosecuted by Hastings District Council after his family dog, Franklin, bit a stranger on May 31 last year. The dog had only its nose jutting out from under the gate, which was set back from the footpath, when the bite occurred.
So how was the person there?

 The 51-year-old male victim had the tip of his left thumb bitten off in the incident.
What did he do to the dog to bite him?

 Judge Geoff Rea released a reserved decision last week after a trial in which Hughes defended a charge of owning a dog that attacked. Evidence hinged on whether the labrador was deemed to be "under control" at the time.
He's behind a fence... under control on the other side of the fence? On his own property?

 In his decision, Judge Rea said that as the dog could get its muzzle and paws under the gate, it was not "confined" in the way the legislation required. "In my view the requirements to confine the dog must mean all of the dog," Judge Rea said.
The fence is set back from the footpath, and this stranger does what? bend over to pat the dog? Isn't the guy who intruded into the dog's space just as guilty? What was he doing trying to pat the dog in the first place? Or what this what he was trying to do?

 After the incident the 5-year-old dog was impounded by dog control officers. It was destroyed with the family's consent after five months of being locked up.
Five months of being locked up!? Isn't that animal cruelty?

 Mr Hughes told Hawke's Bay Today he agreed to euthanise the dog as it was "going mad" in the pound. "It's taken a real toll on us. We were shocked to get prosecuted for a start. We've lost our dog - a dog I believe was provoked and attacked by this guy. We did everything right with Franklin. He was vaccinated, neutered, registered, well cared for and kept inside a secure, fenced enclosure."
What a bad dog day this turns out to be!

 While his dog was impounded, he was told by council the dog's registration was due. "I asked them if I had to pay it given he was in the pound - they said I must, so I did. A few weeks later he was put down and I was told I didn't get my registration money back in that scenario."
WHAT ??
I would certainly take this up with the courts. He registered the dog in GOOD FAITH thinking that he'd get the dog back. If he didn't pay, then the Pound was in the position of putting him down anyways. That is un-civilised!


Is this country going mad????


 - HAWKES BAY TODAY

Labrador has brush with death after home catches fire

Miley the black labrador had a brush with death today after being rescued from a blaze at his family's Christchurch home.

Firefighters battling the Hornby fire found the beloved family pet lying unresponsive under a bed and suffering the effects of smoke inhalation.

She was carried out of the burning home by firefighter Andrew Corner before he revived her on the front lawn with an oxygen mask.

The poorly pooch was rushed to a vet by St John paramedics, and last night was still under observation but making a recovery.

However, her family are devastated by the blaze which has destroyed their home. MORE>>

Travel snow avalanche dogs

The unsung heroes of winter are the search-and-rescue dogs which stand ready to find and dig for people caught in snow-slides and avalanches.

 Aspiring Avalanche Dogs are based at Treble Cone skifield near Wanaka in the South Island's southern lakes district. Their wrangler, Matt Gunn, has prepared his border collies Blizzard and Rocket in the art of avalanche rescue.

 He is building a team of four ready to scramble if avalanche strikes this winter. Here's how the dogs are prepared.
MORE>>

Council adopts dog registration fees

Auckland Council will increase dog registration fees by 3.3 per cent next year.

 On 3 May councillors voted against the original proposal included in the draft Long-term Plan 2012-2022 (LTP), which went out for public consultation earlier this year and proposed a higher level of increase. The governing body endorsed the recommendation by the council’s Strategy and Finance Committee to retain the current fee structure, but with dog registration and impoundment fees adjusted for inflation by 3.3 per cent.

 Mayor Len Brown says that in making the decision the council has listened to good dog owners who have said more work is needed on the proposed fee structure in order to match it with council’s upcoming policy work on dogs.

 More than 4400 of the 10,000 submissions received on the draft LTP related to dog registration fees. Most submitters opposed the level of increase and the removal of a dog owner licence discount.

They also felt that good dog owners were being penalised and not enough was being done to address problems caused by irresponsible owners. MORE>>

Councillors really DONT GET IT !! (well, they do now!) DOGS VOTE TOO !!   


People didn't write submissions about roading, or sewers, or new buildings, they wrote about DOGS FEES. If the Christchurch City Council doesn't understand THAT, then they'll have something else coming. I mean, they are banning ALL DOGS from ALL CENTRAL CITY STREETS !! (whatever is left of them, of course)


We really have to change and challenge people's ideasof dog ownership. They belong beside us, along side us, and are part of our family. Yes, under the Human Rights, you can not be discriminated against if you own a dog if your dog is consider part of the family. Renters out there?? hint hint!

Emergency dash to vet fails to save sick dog

A Whakatane couple who picked up a dog that was close to death from the side of the road say they are bitterly disappointed by the cruelty of some animal owners.

 The couple came across the dog late last week. "As we drove past the street I just happened to catch a glimpse of the dog," the wife said. "It was immediately obvious it was in huge distress and I made my husband turn back."

 She said the ribs of the emaciated animal were sticking out and it appeared the dog also had head injuries. MORE>>