KEY POINTS:
Dog bites are common. In the year to March 2002 more than 3000 dog attacks were reported to territorial authorities and the ACC recorded more than 8500 dog bites.
As most dog bites are not reported and do not require medical attention, these figures greatly underestimate the number which occur.
In the year 1999-2000, 386 people were admitted to hospital because of a dog bite, and someone dies in New Zealand every two to three years from a dog attack.
There are more than 500,000 dogs in New Zealand, and although some may bite several people or the same person many times, rough calculations suggest that on an annual basis one dog in 10 is going to bite someone.
People who own dogs or live with or visit people who own dogs are likely to get bitten.
Legislation will not stop dog bites, as more than half of all bites involve dogs that belong to the victim or the victim's relatives, friends or neighbours.
Legislation has certainly reduced the number of dogs roaming the streets, and almost certainly reduced the number of attacks by such dogs. But legislation is only one part of what is required to reduce serious dog attacks.
Animal control personnel depend on citizens being willing to report the presence of dangerous dogs, stray dogs and unregistered dogs.
However, aggressive dogs may be owned by aggressive people, making reporting and dealing with such dogs dangerous.
Breed-based legislation is attractive but many of the dog attacks are by mongrels. The bull terrier, mastiff cross type of dog with aggressive behaviour appears to feature regularly in dog attack stories and some are particularly dangerous.
Such dogs regularly come to the attention of animal control personnel who have the dirty job of controlling dangerous dogs.
The ongoing drive for tighter legislation on dog-ownership is making it more difficult and expensive to own a dog. If it continues then the right to own a dog will become an earned responsibility with licensing rules and regulations.
Do we really need to go that far? Surely strict enforcement of the present laws can stop this from happening.
It is the right of everyone to walk the streets of any town safe from the threat of a dog attack. Those foolish enough to own a dangerous dog should be targeted and forced to deal with the problem of owing such a dangerous weapon.
Dog-ownership is a pleasure for many people and this pleasure should not be curtailed.
Effective dog control is not difficult and is paid for by registration fees. Surely it is not too much to ask for dangerous dogs and their owners to be controlled?
* Professor Kevin Stafford is a companion animal behaviour specialist at Massey University.
