Council to gel teeth into dog issue

Press, 26 November 1977, Page 23

Council to gel teeth into dog issue

The Christchurch dogq shelter location will change again on December 5, moving. from Marshland Road to the S.P.C.A. Animal Home in, Wilmers Road. Hornby. Because new owners ofthe northern pound were unwilling to renew the City; Council’s lease, the council’s) health department had to) find another site. The new pound will be| open from 1 p.m to 6 p.m from Mondays to Saturdays. Wandering dogs continue to plague many Christchurch suburbs. Residents of South New Brighton, in the Rocking Horse Road area, have petitioned the council about uncontrolled dogs fouling footpaths and grass verges, and molesting birds on the! Estuary tidal flats. Dog rangers have been! busy in the area, but many owners seem to know when patrols are being made and) let their dogs loose at other! times. The chief City Health ln-| spector (Mr A P. MiJIthorpe) said there were probably more owners than generally realised who deliberately let. their dogs roSni | when they knew rangers were off duty.

I Strong new recommend ■ ations on stray dogs will be i considered by the health and general committee at its February meeting. They result from a Veterinary Association report issued earlier this year. A local committee of that association, the Canterbury Kennel Association, the Canine ;()bedience Club, Ihe S.P.C.A , and the council subsequently I met to discuss the issue and produce ideas for a better dog-control policy. One suggestion says that dog owners in urban areas should be required by law 1o provide satisfactory pens or means of control for their dogs i Another recommendation Isays that a licence fee I should be fixed for male and | female dogs, hut a reduced i fee should be charged for ide-sexed males and females I An animal control officer I should develop an effective I education programme, and there should also be strong -legal action against unco- - operative and offending dog e owners. n There should be some type i- of dog-ranging service outn side normal hours through s employment of part-time staff, the study group said.