Proposed dog park might lead to romance

A proposal to establish a dog park on reserve land in south Invercargill will have more than the city's 8000 canines getting excited - many of their lovelorn owners may also be salivating at the prospect.

South Alive co-ordinator Janette Malcolm said dog parks were renowned as meeting places for humans as well as dogs.

A dog park is an area of land set aside for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners. Dog owners get to mingle with other dog owners, with romance known to blossom.

"I think that people will be wanting to borrow other people's dogs to get down to the dog park. It will be the new dating agency in town." MORE>>

"Mastering the City Dog"

The thing about the words ‘smart city’ and bottom up rebuild thinking has special significance in Christchurch. Public sentiment suggest we are doing neither very well. Some say ‘if at all’. Is there is merit in thinking beyond bricks and mortar. Is their Social Capital in thinking Dogs? The evidence suggests so.

The School of the Naked Dog sponsored keynote speaker at the New Zealand's Companion Animal Conference in October is the Assoc Professor Dr Lisa Wood. [West Australian University School of the Built Environment and Public Health] Dr Wood's seminal publication “Living Well Together” [free online] has qualified the restorative and rejuvenate sense of well-being that accrues to entire communities when they value interspecies companionship and design acordingly. She makes the case that we are safer, healthier and live longer. And our real estate is more valuable.

Looking at Australia’s experience it is highly indicated that as a city, we have done civics very poorly and in not adhering to ‘by design’ principles when we are counter productively ostracising people and their companions from the heart of their communities. MORE>>

Fenced dog park nears completion

Wellington's first fully-fenced dog exercise area - near Greta Pt in Evans Bay - should be completed in the next fortnight.

 Local vet Allan Probert, who organised a $20,000 fundraiser to complete the fencing of Cog Park, said it was about time Wellington dog owners had a fenced area where they could safely let their dog off the leash. He expected dog owners, who pay about $1 million per year in fees, deserved something for their money and he could see a good case for similar exercise areas in other suburbs.

 The park was currently partially fenced and he expected work to completely fence it would start in the next week.

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Elderly man attacked by three dogs

A 78-year-old Christchurch man was ''torn to shreds'' by three dogs after trying to help a young boy who had been locked out of his house.

 Somerfield resident Melva Small watched helplessly as the dogs savaged her husband, Frank, outside their Holcombe Pl home on Monday morning. ''I went outside and the little boy from across the road was on the footpath and said he'd locked himself out of his house,'' she said.

 ''His mum was in the shower and couldn't hear him and he was very upset. ''Frank is very good with children and so he picked up the lovely boy and opened the gate to take him up to the door.

Then these vicious dogs just rushed out at him.'' The three bull mastiffs attacked her husband, ''tearing him to shreds''. ''They just went for him. They ripped his face. His cheek was completely open,'' she said.MORE>>