Dog owners have to be responsible for animals

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

Stray dogs are a problem that every local authority has to contend with.

They are a potential threat and that is a worry for the community at large, as the people of Wanganui have discovered with a number of incidents involving loose dogs.

It is particularly alarming when the dogs concerned are deemed to be too dangerous for the appointed animal control officers to intervene.

That was the case when three unregistered dogs in Castlecliff were the subject of a complaint, as our story on page 5 reveals.

It is hard to point the finger at the officer concerned.

He was, quite rightly, mindful of his own safety and also perhaps worried about exacerbating a sticky situation.

Wanganui council's animal control team has adopted a "softly softly" approach and it is hoped that that will produce the desired result - registered dogs kept under firm control.

Dog registration at only $55 for the year is not a huge financial burden - in fact, it is a small price to pay for safety, security and good order.

The vast majority of owners happily do the right thing and pay up, just as the vast majority of owners look after their pets well and make sure the animals behave in the proper manner.

But those owners who refuse to abide by the rules must be dealt with. They cannot be allowed to flout the law ... and to let them do so will simply encourage others.

The Wanganui council is to review its bylaws around animal control. That is a timely move but let's hope it is not the good owners who suffer as a result.

As council deputy strategy and development manager Jonathan Barrett says, the challenge is to promote responsible dog ownership.

A crackdown on the bad owners, rather than their dogs, is what is needed.