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Posted by Topic subject:   New , New Zeland LAW!! Article I found....
shmoopie
Member

Posts: 361
From:Vancouver, BC
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 04-16-2003 12:29 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for shmoopie   Click Here to Email shmoopie     Edit/Delete Message
Microchips and muzzles as Government tightens dog law

15.04.2003
By FRANCESCA MOLD and NATASHA HARRIS
New dog owners will have to get microchips embedded under the skin of their dogs as part of a tough new regime designed to crack down on vicious attacks.

The Government yesterday revealed a raft of law changes to tighten dog controls on New Zealand's 400,000 dogs, including requiring all newly registered dogs to be microchipped by July 2006.

Computer chips will be injected under the skin on the dog's neck.

The $16 chip - expected to cost $65 to $95 once inserted by a vet - will carry an identification number that can be checked by dog control officers when they pass a scanner over the skin.

A national database will also be set up to track dangerous dogs and to provide more accurate information on the breeds most likely to attack.

Yesterday's announcement follows a public outcry at the savage mauling of Carolina Anderson, aged 7, by an american staffordshire terrier at a park in February.

Local Government Minister Chris Carter said he had received 10,000 letters from concerned New Zealanders since the attack.

The Government's response to that incident would include banning the importation of american pit bulls, brazilian filas, japanese tosas and dogo argentinos.

Dogs of the fighting breeds already in New Zealand, would have to be muzzled in public.

Councils will be given the power to muzzle other potentially dangerous dogs, based on their behaviour, size and temperament. This would help them deal with cross-breeds not covered by the ban.

Maximum penalties for offences under the Dog Control Act will jump to three years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. Previously, it was three months in jail and a $5000 fine.

The law changes will create big costs for some homeowners, including having a securely fenced area for all dogs by mid-2006. Homeowners will also have to ensure that visitors to their property can reach at least one door without having to walk through an area with a dog.

This could create difficulties for people with guard dogs.

"Frankly, some guard dogs in this country are so dangerous it is equivalent to having a loaded gun by the door," said Mr Carter. "I don't think it is unreasonable to expect every household to be accessible at least at one point where you're not going to be savagely attacked."

A spokesman for Carolina Anderson's family said they were encouraged by the new laws but they believed other dangerous dog breeds needed to be looked at, including staffordshire terriers, labradors and alsatians. He commended the Government for acting quickly on dog control but said there was "a lot more devil in the detail" to come.

One of the two owners of the dog that attacked Carolina, Brian Hill, described the new law as "really, really sad".

The Act Party signalled it would oppose the law changes. Leader Richard Prebble said the new laws would just add more regulation, costs and fines on law-abiding owners.

"The problem has never been about a lack of laws, but a lack of targeted enforcement against criminals who own dogs."

Mr Carter said the Government did not want to prevent people owning dogs, but it was vital the public was protected.


ANY THOUGHTS?

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shmoopie
Member

Posts: 361
From:Vancouver, BC
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 04-16-2003 12:40 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for shmoopie   Click Here to Email shmoopie     Edit/Delete Message
BUT NOT ONLY PIT BULLS.....READ THIS


New Zealand again....

Charges likely after dog attacks boy at wedding
18 March 2003

The owner of a golden retriever who bit a toddler on the face at a Wairarapa wedding is likely to be charged, police said today.


There would probably be no choice but to charge the eight-year-old golden retriever's owner with one of two charges under the Dog Control Act, Sergeant Ben Offner said.

"The choices are to charge the person with owning a dog which attacked a person, or owning a dog which injured a person," Mr Offner said.

"There were serious injuries involved and in this climate, I would not like to be the one to make the decision not to lay charges."

Jacob Rapira-Davies, two, received 65 stitches after he was bitten by the family pet at a wedding at Fernside, near Featherston on Saturday.

A witness told police other older children had been patting the dog, which had wandered over from an adjoining property, before Jacob reached out to pat it and was bitten.

Mr Offner said it was not known if anything had happened to the dog before it bit Jacob.

"It is an unfortunate incident, as it has been a family pet for years and has no known history of biting," he said.

He said the court would have the power to order the dog be destroyed in such a case.

Jacob, who lives in Brisbane with his family, was treated at Masterton Hospital before being transferred to Hutt Hospital's plastics unit.

He will remain in New Zealand until his recovery.

Jacob's father, Damien Rapira-Davies, yesterday appealed to dog owners to tie them up. He said his son's injuries showed any breed was capable of biting.

The 120 guests at his sister-in-law's wedding did not think the golden retriever was a problem.

"It wasn't like there was no one watching, but nobody looks at a golden retriever and says that looks dangerous," he said.

"I don't have a vendetta against the owner of the dog but here's my beautiful baby boy and we came here for a family wedding and he was just playing with kids and then the attack happened."

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goob
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Posts: 186
From:
Registered: Mar 2003

posted 04-16-2003 06:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for goob     Edit/Delete Message
There's a board on MSN where NZ people were discussing pit bulls, breed bans, dog laws, etc.... all I can say is that I pity those who want to own "fighting breeds" in NZ, they're going to have a hard time convincing the lawmakers to see their side.

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