Bob Kerridge: License owners to solve dog's breakfast of canine control

As the reality of the Super City concept emerges, and the visionaries who will undoubtedly provide their wisdom into the essential elements that will make the dream a reality materialise, there is a growing surge of optimism.

In dream mode my mind turned to what the Super City might positively produce for its animal inhabitants, who are, after all, citizens who need to be considered in the big picture.

My first thoughts are of the canine population and the vexing question of dog control. If the same thinking reflected in suggested transport solutions is applied to dogs, we have already solved half our problems.

Under the present structure, the Dog Control Act bestows local authorities with the power to concoct their own dog control bylaws, which creates, literally, a "dog's breakfast" of seven confusing regulatory regimes in the Auckland region.

As a result the cost to register your dog ranges from $80 in the Franklin District to $169 in Auckland City for "entire" dogs. And $60, again in Franklin, to $140 in Papakura for desexed dogs.

How such variances in registration costs can be justified has always been well beyond my comprehension.

Equally when it comes to enforcement of the various dog control bylaws, the extremes between local authorities is alarming, and range from the over-exuberant draconian administration to one where the presence of dog control officers is a rare occurrence. All at the whim of the ruling council in the area.

Accordingly, the thought of one set of consistent dog control laws throughout the entire Auckland Region is a dream that could possibly be fulfilled in the Super City concept.

Nice dream, but will it be a reality? There has been some talk of dog control coming under the auspices of "local boards".

If that is to be the case the inconsistencies of dog control will reach nightmare proportions and an even greater fiasco than they currently are.

There is an even larger and more exciting vision for the Super City and its dogs, and it's a concept that could have national implications.

Imagine a city whose dog-owning residents are aware of their responsibilities, both to the dogs and their fellow humans, and are made accountable for the actions of their dogs.

This is achievable through the simple act of licensing the owner, not the dog. In providing a licence to individuals for the privilege of having a dog it would, in the first instance, be necessary for the person to be educated into the essential responsibilities that go with such an entitlement.

In this regard the Code of Welfare for Dogs is a document, soon to be updated by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, which contains the essential standards of canine care so necessary in the health and welfare of the animal, together with helpful guidelines into their care.

An understanding of this as a pre-requisite for owning a dog will go a long way towards the elimination of ignorance and lack of care that is the very core of our city's canine problems.

Additionally, by licensing the owner, any failure to meet the obligations of ownership could result in the revoking of that licence, thus guarding against those numerous instances of neglect that may not otherwise be manageable but breach the standards established by the code.

Moreover, and perhaps of most importance, licensing the owner will place the responsibility on the owner and not the errant dog who, more often than not, pays for the irresponsibility of its owner with its life.

And finally, speaking of lives, what about cats, and specifically those who are stray, having been discarded, abandoned or born without a home?

These beautiful creatures, who outnumber dogs by more than two to one, do not have the protection of the city, as councils in general reject any responsibility towards them. Accordingly they live their lives alone or under the care of volunteers who dedicate themselves to their wellbeing - what will the new Super City bring for these cats and their carers?

Perhaps we can do as Rome does - recognise and support those who care for them, assist by funding their desexing to control their population, and provide sustenance for their continuing wellbeing. After all they too are valuable inhabitants of our city.

* Bob Kerridge is the executive director of the SPCA Auckland.