Newsmaker is Rotorua District Council animal control officer and animal welfare inspector

Read about Andy Hope...This week's Newsmaker is Rotorua District Council animal control officer and animal welfare inspector Andy Hope who was the prosecutor in a case in the Rotorua District Court this week of a woman who ill-treated a dog.  MORE>>

Sheep killed in vicious dog attacks (graphic content)

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THIS DOG ON THE RIGHT ?? -->>

More than 40 sheep have been killed in a series of vicious dog attacks at Canterbury Agricultural Park.

Canterbury A&P Association graze about 200 sheep at the Curletts Rd park during the year, but over the past six months their livestock have been repeatedly attacked.

Operations manager Dugald Thomas said 21 sheep were killed during two brutal attacks at the weekend.

"On Friday night we had three sheep killed and then overnight there were a further 12 ewes and six lambs slaughtered."

Thomas said it was "very distressing" for staff at the park, including himself, who found the mauled sheep.

"It's bloody awful. Half of the sheep are still alive and you have to put them down. They've obviously suffered a lot."

Thomas believed two dogs that probably lived near the park were responsible.

A nearby resident managed to take a photograph of the dog involved in Saturday's attack.

"He saw the attack and chased the dog away from the sheep and managed to get this pic as it ran away," Thomas said.

Thomas said they would "love to get some help" from the public in identifying the dog.

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Young dog "cowardly" abandoned in storm

Invercargill's SPCA is horrified at the case of a young dog, which was left tied outside one of its shelters overnight - just as a storm hit.

It was dumped at the Woodend shelter on Wednesday night and had nowhere to escape from the weather.

The dog has grazes on its legs from getting tangled in the chain it was tethered to.

Shelter manager Mary Bradley says the animal was terrified when they found her, and is only now starting to trust people again.

Mary Bradley says it was cowardly to abandon the dog in such bad weather - and illegal.

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Greyhound bosses want own industry probe

Greyhound racing bosses are backing calls for an inquiry into their industry.

But they are refusing moves for any inquiry to be carried out by independent observers, with Greyhound Racing New Zealand general manager Jim Leach saying his officials are the best equipped to review the at-times deadly industry.

Calls for an independent inquiry into greyhound racing, and its growing death toll, have been made by the Greyhound Protection League and the Green Party following investigations first by the Sunday Star-Times and now TV3's 60 Minutes. "Our view is that there is no need for an independent inquiry," Leach said.

"We believe we can get appropriate people to have the investigation for us."  MORE>>

Dogs capture director's heart

Film-maker Costa Botes describes film festivals as an oasis of good films that haven't a hope of getting a distribution deal.

The Last Dogs of Winter director said the New Zealand International Film Festival, in Masterton until October 31, brings people back to what film-making should be.

"It should be about the value of the film-making, about the emotional connection, about stuff that matters rather than stuff that sells."

Mr Botes' latest documentary tells the story of Brian Ladoon who, in a remote corner of Canada, has spent 40 years trying to save the indigenous Eskimo dog, the Qimmiq.

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No change to dog laws despite 27,000 injuries

More than 27,000 people have been injured by dogs in the past two years, costing taxpayers $5 million in ACC treatment.

But the Government remains unwilling to change dog control legislation.

Since January 2010, there have been 27,547 dog-related injuries - at a rate of almost 200 a week, or 27 a day. The figures relate to any injury involving a dog that required ACC treatment for the victim.

Local Government Minister David Carter's two predecessors both pledged to investigate dog control legislation, but nothing has yet been done.

Rodney Hide vowed to reform dog laws before the November 2011 election, but his review was delayed by the Christchurch earthquakes. After a series of attacks in January this year, Nick Smith said he would investigate the incidents and identify whether there were any issues that had implications for the law.

Mr Carter said Internal Affairs Department officials had advised him that "no amendments to the Dog Control Act were identified that required legislative change to promote public safety around dogs".  HOW ABOUT DOG SAFETY AROUND PEOPLE? "There is therefore no plan to reinstate a review of the legislation. The Government is undertaking a major reform of local government legislation and our current focus is on seeing this through." MORE>>

Where's the REAL DATA !! What does ONE DOG BITE MEAN? Where is the scale of bites so that we have better reporting, Where's the research?? 

how disappointing...