Vets say breed-specific ban won't stop dog attacks
The Hon Nanaia Mahuta announced today that the Government will introduce new legislation requiring mandatory neutering
of dogs classified as menacing by their breed or type, which includes crossbreeds.
The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) believes that focusing on dog breeds and types is not the right approach
to preventing dog attacks on people.
"We agree with the Minister when she says that dog safety needs good law, good enforcement and support from the
community and dog owners," says NZVA spokesperson Steve Merchant. "Like her, we abhor the recent tragedies that have
resulted from dog attacks on people and we would like to see dog control tightened.
"However, we are concerned that the proposed changes to dog control law are missing the point. Branding dogs as
dangerous by breed or type ignores the fact that all dogs are potentially dangerous."
Aggressive behaviour in dogs is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, according to the NZVA.
"It is illogical to focus attention on a few specific breeds that are considered dangerous. Any dog that is not properly
socialised, or that has been poorly treated, can be at risk of biting people," says Dr Merchant.
He says identification of the breeds contributing to a cross-bred animal is virtually impossible as there is poor
correlation between genetic make-up and physical appearance.
"We advise our members that we do not support the use of veterinarians to identify crossbreeds on the basis of visual
assessment."
The NZVA does support Ms Mahuta's call for the neutering of menacing dogs.
"The benefit of neutering is not so much the prevention of breeding, as the beneficial effect on behaviour, particularly
in male dogs. Aggressive male dogs become much more manageable after they are neutered," says Dr Merchant.
Dr Merchant believes the Government should be looking at ways to make all dog owners take more responsibility for the
behaviour of their pets.
He says tightening up the enforcement of current dog control laws would go a long way towards dealing with the problem
of biting dogs.
"Local authorities should take a harder line on unregistered and deal more forcefully with dogs posing threats to
people," Dr Merchant says. "However, we would like assurance that there is adequate resourcing for this. There is a
large population of unregistered dogs in this country, so addressing that problem would require a substantial workforce
of animal control officers who are properly supported."
NZVA believes that microchipping is one of the best ways to clamp down on unregistered and misbehaving dogs. Owners of
microchipped dogs can be traced and held responsible if their dog is caught biting or fighting, or simply straying.
As from July last year it became compulsory to microchip pups at six months of age. Over time the percentage of
microchipped dogs will increase and, in the future, any dog without a microchip will clearly be an unregistered animal.
"We look forward to making a constructive contribution during the consultative process around the proposed new
legislation. Breed-specific bans make for good politics but bad law, and we would be pleased to assist the Government
find alternative ways to address the problem of aggressive dogs," says Dr Merchant.
ENDS