Tighter dog controls for local bodies

Press, 8 May 1982, Page 6

Tighter dog controls for local bodies

PA Wellington The Government has introduced legislation to curb stray dogs and force dog owners to be more responsible. A Dog Control Bill,- introduced in Parliament yesterday for study during the coming recess, allows greater local-body powers over noisy dogs, reduces the steps to be taken before dogs can be destroyed, and gives the right to local bodies to ban a person from owning a dog. The new bill, amalgamating old legislation on the

subject, also. tightens up hy-datid-testing procedures. The 4 Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs (Mr Thompson) said there were 430,000 registered dogs in New Zealand and probably as many unregistered. The bill imposes a statutory obligation on dog owners to keep their dogs under control at all times and allows local authorities to insist on owners taking steps to prevent their dogs from creating a nuisance. People convicted of various offences relating to dogs

or hydatids control may be disqualified from owning dogs. Courts may order the destruction of a dog after its owner has been convicted of an offence relating to the dog’s behaviour. Where a dog is impounded, it can be destroyed after four days without any newspaper /advertisement describing it. Mr M. K. Moore (Lab., Papanui) said that according to the Chinese calendar, 1982 is the Year of the Dog. He said the bill should be aimed more at owners than at dogs.