By Dan Parker
A recent victim of a serious dog attack says the Government needs to get tougher on owners and their animals.
A review of ownership laws is currently underway, but some dog owners are calling for calm.
The owner of two bull mastiffs, Sharron Mischefski, says her dogs are often wrongly accused of being dangerous.
She says it is only when they are cross-bred that mastiffs can become vicious and unpredictable.
“There’s nasty people out there, that’s society and the way it is,” she says. “Some people will backyard breed and cross a Bull mastiff with something else just to get the size of the Bull mastiff.”
A mastiff cross-breed was responsible for another attack just three days ago, and victim Stu Jacobs is demander tougher dog laws.
“I’d like to see certain breeds banned,” he says.
“I think there needs to be a certain rule that when dogs are in public there is more control over the dog so they can’t be running free.
“They need to have a lead on, or a muzzle, or we need areas where a dog can roam free that isn’t amongst the public.”
Last year more than 460 people had to go to hospital after dog attacks, and since 1969 five have died from injuries relating to dog bites.
A number of breeds are considered ‘dangerous’, but just four are banned from importation; the American pitbull terrier, Brazilian fila, dogo argentino and the Japanese tosa.
But Mr Jacobs says that list needs to grow.
“Someone is going to get badly hurt, if not tragically killed, unless this is dealt with immediately,” he says.
Enforcement largely falls on councils, all of which work under the same laws, but Christchurch has been getting tougher, even prosecuting owners whose dogs attack cats.
“Our ultimate aim is to ensure infants aren’t attacked and people aren’t attacked,” says council enforcement manager Gary Lennon.
“There is a clear link I guess with animals, and dogs attacking other animals.”
A spokesman for Local Government Minister Rodney Hide says a review of dog ownership laws will begin in June, and the latest attacks will be taken into consideration.
3 News
source: newshub archive
