Editorial: Time to tackle dog attacks

Severe cases like the attack on seven-year-old Sakurako Uehara are rare but no one would argue it doesn't happen far too often.

What is it going to take to protect our children from dog attacks?

A 7-year-old girl was rushed to hospital on Monday in a critical condition after being attacked by four dogs in Murupara.

The young girl suffered extensive injuries to the majority of her face, as well as puncture wounds to both arms, legs and hips.

She had been playing in the yard of a family friend when she was attacked by the dogs, which belonged to the property's owner.

Like most dog owners, I find it hard to believe my pet could harm anyone, but the fact is all dogs have the potential to bite if hurt or frightened. They may be man's best friend but most bites are by the victim's own dog.

According to animalcontrol.org.nz, there could be as many as 20,000 dog bites a year in New Zealand. That's about 400 a week.

Thankfully, cases as severe as Monday's incident are few and far between, but no one would argue it doesn't happen far too often.

The website quoted above - the official website of the New Zealand Institute of Animal Control Officers - says the main influence for dog aggression is its owner and environment, but it also says breed is important.

The site says American pitbull terriers are responsible for most serious dog attack problems, but a breeders' group representative told me yesterday it was wrong to focus on breed and that it had no bearing on a dog's likelihood to attack. Some say dangerous breeds - those bred to fight - attract dangerous owners, explaining perhaps why these breeds feature heavily in attack statistics. But at some point it begins to sound like the gun control debate in the US.

Maybe if we all learn to respect the potential danger of dogs, the way we should guns, there will be an improvement. It starts with the kids. Visit dogsafety.govt.nz for tips on how children should interact with dogs.