KEY POINTS:
Menacing dogs will have to be neutered under proposed changes to the Dog Control Act.
The Government announced the proposals yesterday following a review of the act after several high-profile dog attacks.
Many councils already require neutering of menacing breeds, but Associate Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta said a law change making it mandatory would give national consistency.
"More action needs to be taken to get the dogs that pose a high risk out of the breeding population," she said.
At present there are four breeds classified as menacing - the American pit bull terrier, dogo Argentino, Brazilian fila and Japanese tosa.
Imports of the breeds are banned and the dogs must be muzzled in public. Councils can also classify other dogs as menacing based on their behaviour.
Under the proposed changes, the process for adding breeds to the banned list would be simplified and an immediate ban would be imposed on the Presa Canario.
The breed is already prohibited in Australia, and Ms Mahuta said stopping it being imported into New Zealand, although it is not thought to be here, was a "proactive, precautionary measure to protect the community".
The Cabinet has already agreed to the proposed changes and plans to refer the bill to a select committee before the end of the year.
Further plans to tighten the legislation will be circulated for public comment. Among the other proposals are mandatory destruction of dogs classified as dangerous, and compulsory round-ups and faster destruction of unregistered dogs.
The moves follow a spate of serious attacks, including the one on Murupara woman Virginia Ohlson, who was killed by two unregistered bull mastiff crosses in April.
They also follow changes to the act in 2003, when the list of banned dogs was established.
The New Zealand Kennel Club welcomed the Government's desire for national consistency on dog control, but said the proposal to add more breeds to the banned list was not a solution.
Chief executive Brian Priest said the banning of the American pit bull terrier in 2003 had led to dogs being registered under other labels, and banning other breeds would worry owners of quality, purebred dogs.
"Today's news was never going to be an instant fix for dog control problems, but it is a beginning."
He said more emphasis was needed on involving more owners in education, including the Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen programme.
United Future leader Peter Dunne said the proposed changes were a move in the right direction to protect the public from dangerous dogs, but there remained a lack of monitoring of dog attacks.
"Councils should be required by law to take information on every dog attack. Collecting this information should be a priority," he said.
A Cabinet paper had warned that there was little systematic monitoring on the incidence and characteristics of dog attacks.
It was therefore difficult to build an overall picture of the effectiveness of the dog control regime.
Mr Dunne said without this information, the proposed changes would have only limited impact.
