Source: Radio New Zealand
Minister for Local Government Simon Watts said he was seeking urgent advice on dangerous dogs. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The SPCA is calling for an overhaul of dog control laws and for the government to reinstate funding for the desexing of menacing and roaming dogs.
The agency said it had been campaigning for a review of the Dog Control Act 1996, for more than 10 years.
Mihiata Te Rore, 62, was killed by a pack of three dogs at a property in Northland’s Kaihu on Tuesday- the third fatal attack in the region in the last four years, and the fourth nationwide.
Kaipara District Council’s animal management said it had received four complaints about the dogs since November last year, and visited the property twice in February – though staff were unable to talk to the owner or uplift the dogs.
When asked if the government would consider reforming the Dog Control Act, Local Government Minister Simon Watts said in a statement: “I have sought advice on all the options available in addition to the work that is already being completed.
“To date my focus has been on non-legislative options that can assist councils more quickly, and that work will continue.”
Asked for specific examples of non-legislative options, the minister said it included improving the quality and consistency of national dog-related data.
Watts said officials were also working with the local government sector to refresh and improve dog control enforcement guidelines and updated guidelines were expected to be issued later this year.
SPCA senior science officer Alison Vaughan told Morning Report the Dog Control Act was “hopelessly out of date” and there needed to be a substantive, urgent, evidence-based review, and an overhaul.
Vaughan said there was a lack of consistency in how local governments responded to dog attacks, and that needed to change.
Shane Jones. RNZ/Samantha Gee
“What we really need right now is leadership from central government so we can get standardised national guidelines, so we can get more funding to address desexing of menacing and roaming dogs, because right now this population is continuing to grow.”
Asked about thoughts on minister Shane Jones’ comments on Morning Report that his father’s generation would shoot dangerous dogs, Vaughan said there needed to be solutions to address the underlying issues.
“We do know from overseas examples that indiscriminate culling of roaming dogs doesn’t find a sustainable solution, so it may reduce numbers temporarily, but if we don’t address the irresponsible breeding and roaming, we will see population quickly rebound.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand