Ex-police inspector fined for his dog's attack

A Hamilton District Court judge yesterday criticised former police inspector John Dewar for displaying an "obstinate head-in-the-sand attitude" in refusing to pay a $90 vet bill to a neighbour.

The bill was the result of a fight between Dewar's labrador crossbred dog, Peanut, and a border collie called Tess, owned by neighbour Collette Hanrahan in Tamahere, near Hamilton.

The fight happened more than a year ago when the dogs were out on morning exercise with their respective owners, Mrs Hanrahan and Dewar's wife, Louise.

Since then the hearing has been delayed three times.

However, yesterday Dewar was finally convicted of owning a dog that attacked another animal. He was fined $300 plus $90 reparation.

But Judge Robert Spear was clearly annoyed the case had taken up more than half a day's court time, requiring the evidence of three witnesses, two lawyers and a judge.

He said the matter would never have made it to court had Dewar and his family simply paid the vet's bill of $90 from the outset - a "sensible and reasonable" claim of Mrs Hanrahan's.

The prosecution was brought by the Waikato District Council, after the Dewars refused to pick up the original tab for vet expenses.

Judge Spear said things had "racheted up" following disagreement over who was at fault for the fight, as neither dog was on a lead.

In his summing-up, the judge accepted Mrs Hanrahan's sometimes emotional testimony, in which she described Peanut running up, attacking and pinning down her much smaller and highly disciplined dog.

Earlier, Waikato District Council lawyer Jo-Anne Knight pushed for a court order requiring the destruction of Peanut.

Judge Spear said the matter had been blown out of all proportion. Apart from the attack on Tess, there was no evidence to suggest Peanut was otherwise a dangerous and menacing dog.

The judge added that it would be a "sad day indeed" if people living in a rural-residential environment were forced to exercise their dogs on a leash.