KEY POINTS:
Banning more types of dogs will not help to reduce attacks because it is not clear which breeds are responsible, say veterinarians.
Prime Minister Helen Clark suggested this week that more breeds should be banned, after Aotea Coxon, 2, was attacked by a staffordshire bull terrier in Christchurch.
United Future leader Peter Dunne also called for a wider ban, as the eight serious attacks in the past year had all involved pitbull terriers, bull mastiffs or staffordshire bull terriers.
But Pieter Verhoek, president of the Companion Animal Society, an association of vets who care for household pets, says there is no need for additional legislation.
"I don't think adding dog breeds to the restricted list would help. The laws are already in place, they just need to be utilised properly. Dogs should be judged on deeds, not breeds.
"For example, currently pitbulls and pitbull crosses are over-represented in dog attack statistics. Ten years ago it was rottweilers. And they tend to be unregistered and from similar socioeconomic areas"
The problem with adding extra breeds to the list is the difficulty in identifying exactly which type of dog is which, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
"It's incredibly difficult to get it right by just looking at an animal, unless it's a purebred" says Julie Hood, chief executive officer of the association.
Members of the association have been advised not to help authorities to identify pitbulls, for example, because it is too easy to make a wrong assessment. The pitbull closely resembles three other breeds: the bull terrier, the staffordshire bull terrier and the american staffordshire terrier. And cross-breeding makes exact identification almost impossible.
Instead of restricting dog breeds further, Mr Verhoek believes that education is the key to reducing dog attacks. Children need to be taught how to approach dogs and how to respond to dangerous situations.
Owners need to be taught how to effectively train and keep dogs under control at home and in public. Currently dogs classified as dangerous or menacing must be muzzled and on a lead in public.
