More dog attacks serious enough to put victims in hospital

By ANGELA GREGORY

The number of serious dog attacks in New Zealand has sharply increased since 1999, and more victims are needing hospital treatment.

Figures released yesterday by Local Government Minister Chris Carter showed that children aged under 10 and men were harmed more than other groups.

The final report of the Department of Internal Affairs' survey on dog issues shows that the overall number of attacks fell between 2000 and 2002, but 70 more of those attacks resulted in admittance to hospital.

Mr Carter said the increase in serious attacks underscored the need for the Government's proposed changes to dog laws.

An interim report had shown a relatively constant number of dog attacks resulting in hospitalisation between 1995-96 and 1999-2000.

But Mr Carter said the statistics now available showed that hospitalisations had increased sharply.

In 2001-02 there were 420 hospitalisations, up from 349 in 1999-2000.

Figures supplied by the Health Information Service showed that 34 per cent (943) of visits to public hospitals for treatment of dog bites were by children up to the age of 10, and 60 per cent (1652) were by males.

Mr Carter said admittance to hospital was a reliable measure of the number of serious dog attacks.

"The Government has proposed new laws that will help local authorities cope better with dog control. These new figures reveal why."

The survey showed there were about 470,000 registered dogs in New Zealand or 117 for every 1000 people.

It also showed a high proportion of dog attacks reported to councils involved dogs thought to be unregistered.

Yet it is estimated that only 6 per cent of dogs are unregistered.

"This information reveals the importance of the Government's proposals to empower councils to seize unregistered dogs on private property, and gradually introduce micro-chipping," Mr Carter said.

"Both initiatives will help tackle the unregistered dog problem."

He urged everyone with an interest in dog control to consider making a submission to the Local Government and Environment Committee on the Government's proposals before the June 20 deadline.



A spokesman for the minister said information kept on dog attacks was notoriously inconsistent.

Statistics often presented a quite conflicting picture, which made it difficult to explain the rise in serious attacks, he said.

And an analysis of the survey on dog issues suggested not all attacks that resulted in Accident Compensation Corporation claims were being reported to councils.

In the year 2001-2002, 8677 claims were made to ACC, almost three times the number reported to councils.

Dog attacks (2000-2002):


OVERALL: Down from 3326 to 3020


HOSPITAL CASES: Up from 349 to 420


REGISTRATIONS: 470,000 (117 dogs for every 1000 people)