Editorial: Dogged by a problem with owners

They say there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. I'm not 100 per cent convinced of that when I see the damage done by some of the vicious breeds kept as pets in New Zealand.
"This is the first time he has ever attacked a child," the astounded owner says as the dog is destroyed and the child undergoes surgery.
On the whole, however, the problem is bad owners. There are just too many people in charge of dogs who ought not to be.
That is evident from our report on page seven today which outlines the issue the SPCA is having with an influx of unwanted puppies.
It has, says the Napier SPCA, been a horrendous year for the abandonment of puppies by owners who simply refuse to take their responsibilities as dog owners seriously.
Already this year, the SPCA in Napier has had to rehome 900 dogs and has some harrowing stories of cruelty on the part of people who just want shot of unwanted puppies and don't seem to care how they do it.
SPCA branches in Hastings and Central Hawke's Bay report a similar story. They have an extraordinarily high number of unwanted dogs this year.
Perhaps it is a sign of the times, as people are not prepared to pay to have their dogs fixed. The SPCA would like to see local councils offer better incentives for owners to have their dogs de-sexed to avoid this issue with unwanted puppies.
Ultimately, however, this is not the responsibility of the local council. It is the responsibility of the dog owner - and good dog owners take it seriously.