PRESS RELEASE
New Zealand Council of Docked Breeds – 29th March 2006

Common sense abandoned as the chips fly!

“Compulsory microchipping of dogs is simply further indication of New Zealand’s decline into a Nanny State. No sane person can link inserting a microchip into a dog to a reduction in the number of dog attacks!” according to Karen McIntyre of the New Zealand Council of Docked Breeds.

“This legislation typifies the now familiar knee-jerk reactions to emotive issues that face this Government, when in reality it is simply parking the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.”

To achieve realistic reductions in attacks we need to educate owners and their families. Ultimately this will eliminate the majority of the current issues we have with Animal Control! The starting point can be simply achieved by registering the owners rather than the dogs.

“All microchipping will achieve is additional compliance cost for the already law-abiding citizen. It is easy to predict that attacks will continue, only in the future the dog at fault will be neither registered or micro-chipped”.

“According to The Press, the NZVA claim the benefits of microchipping include allowing territorial authorities to euthanise dogs quickly after attack, tracing parentage of dogs and congenital diseases and the ability to trace the owner of an injured or lost dog. None of these will prevent dog attacks and therefore you have to question the feasibility of the legislation and concur with Federated Farmers suggestion that the NZVA simply view this as a $35 million commercial opportunity. Little wonder they are in favour of the legislation,” claims McIntyre.

To the New Zealand Council of Docked Breeds, fighting to maintain their members “Freedom of Choice” and a continuance of the animal husbandry practice of the docking of dogs’ tails, it is confirmation that our Politicians continue to leave reality behind and confirm that common sense has long since left the building!

ENDS

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