Council acting on dog complaints

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33189, 31 March 1973, Page 16

Council acting on dog complaints

About 150 complaints about dogs have been received by the Christchurch City Council since it introduced a new dog-control bylaw on March 1.

The council’s senior health inspector (Mr C. G. Roberts) said yesterday that this was not a great many more complaints than usual—but now the council could do something about them. The by-law enables action to be taken against the owners of dogs which foul pavements. which are not kept under control, or which create a nuisance by barking or howling. The two dog-rangers who have been anoointed by the council—both owners of dogs themselves—have found that some of the complaints have to be treated with caution. Occasionally the trouble appears to be personality clashes between neighbours rather than any real nuisance being created bv a dog. At other times the complainants have been justified but have blamed the wrong dog. Four neighbours in one street wrote to the council about the barking of dogs from a particular house, but on each of three visits the ranger found that those dogs were quiet and two dogs in the house behind were barking their heads off. ROAMING DOGS Much of the trouble is’ caused by roaming dogs, especially when they get topether in packs, but often thev have disappeared by the Cue the ranger is called and can get to the scene of the complaint. Cases of Hoping over rubbish tins and chasing cars and bicycles are not unusual, and occasionally somebody pets knocked over by a large Another problem was demonstrated by a recent complaint that about 20 dogs: were roaming in a particular street The ranger found 17

h dogs on the front lawn of ;) one of the properties, and a S; bitch in season under one of i- the beds in the house. v The owner of the bitch said :- the dog had not been out of the house. The owners of six n of the dogs on the front lawn . came and took them away . when they saw the council t ‘van arrive. Two of the other dogs were ,- registered. and the ranger radioed his office to find where they came from and ’ took them back to their owne ers. asking them to keep J them under better control. J The report made no further E mention of the other nine dogs B