‘However the new controls on dangerous dogs are a mixed bag of both good and not so good.’ Identification of pit bull terriers for the purpose of requiring them to be muzzled when in public will prove to be impractical,’ he said. ‘Vets deal with dogs all the time and know that this breed varies so much in its physical characteristics, and is so closely related to Staffordshire and English Bull terriers, that it is just not possible to accurately identify individuals on the basis of visual assessment,’ he said.

‘The idea, that the dangerous dog issue can be addressed by identifying and placing additional controls on a few of the dog breeds more commonly involved in attacks, is based on the assumption that canine aggression is caused by genes alone. That assumption is faulty, since aggression is a function of both genes plus socialisation. All dogs are potentially dangerous,’ he said.

‘A rotten owner can make any dog of any breed aggressive, so the proposals are coming at the problem from the wrong end,’ said Mr Gibb. ‘Canine aggression is a people problem, and until we change cultural attitudes to insist on responsible dog ownership, no amount of tinkering with the Dog Control Act will help make much headway,’ he said. ‘Potential dog owners should be licensed and required to prove competency and fitness for purpose, before being allowed to own a dog.’

‘We are however pleased to see the Government running with the microchipping proposal,’ said Mr Gibb. ‘New South Wales has had compulsory microchip identification of dogs for three years now, resulting in a significant improvement in urban animal management. From an animal welfare viewpoint accurate identification through microchipping has a lot of advantages he said. It allows for rapid retrieval of lost and stray dogs as well as implementation of canine inherited disorders control schemes.

Contact:
Murray Gibb
CEO NZVA
Phone 04 471 0484 (bus)
04 475 4023 (home)
025 915 956 (cellphone)