Tougher dog law triggered by Carolina's mauling

Local Government Minister Chris Carter publicly thanked Carolina Anderson and her family for turning a tragic dog attack into "something beneficial for New Zealand society" as new dog control measures were passed into law yesterday.

The Dog Control Amendment Bill was passed by 109 votes to seven, with only Act MPs and independent Donna Awatere Huata voting against it.

The Government promoted tougher dog control measures after Carolina was mauled by an american staffordshire terrier in January.

During the debate yesterday, Mr Carter said he wanted to take the opportunity to thank Carolina and her family, particularly her father, for their campaigning for greater dog control.

The most controversial aspect of the legislation has been the compulsory microchipping of all dogs registered for the first time after 2006.

The Department of Internal Affairs has provided some figures on dog control costs. Officials told MPs on a parliamentary select committee:

* It would cost $420,000 for an advertising campaign on dog control - which would include explaining microchipping.

* Setting up a nationwide database would cost about $1 million.

* The ongoing cost of database administration would be passed on to local governments which could absorb or pass on costs to dog owners (estimated to be 50c a dog, yearly).

* There has been a huge variation in quotes on how much it will cost to microchip dogs, ranging from $20 to hundreds of dollars.

Costs of microchipping animals have dropped in the past five years and officials expect that trend to continue as the technology improves and is used more widely.

- NZPA