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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 906, 5 January 1881, Page 6

The coming into force of the Dog Registration Act, has caused some misapprehension. It is believed that the Provincial Act, under which registration has, hitherto, been carried on, termed the annual period as expiring on the 31st of March in each year ; and those whose dogs are now so registered, claim that it is not compulsory to re-register until then. We fear that that is a mistake ; although, even allowing for argument’s sake that such is correct, the 'only small advantage would be that between this and then, an animal may die, or be lost, or sold, or given away, for the fee would be the same—ten shillings—for any registration made during seven-twelfths of the year. If such had been the case the Colonial Act would have contained a saving clause, subjecting those already registered to March next, a pro rata imposition only, but it does not. On enquiry we find that no licenses were issued for any period after the 31st of December last, and as the Act is in force; the 14 days allowed for defaulters are expiring, and the Provincial law is repealed ; there is nothing left but to pay the tax as gracefully as a quiet submission to the necessities of the case, will allow. There is one of the clauses of the new Act, to which we did not previously allude, that, if properly carried out (which we are sure it will not be) should tend to rid our streets of an intolerable nuisance, namelv : —

“ If any dog shall, on any highway or any unenclosed place, rush at, attack, or startle any person or any horse, cattle, or other animal, whereby the life or limbs of any person shall be endangered, or any property be injured or endangered, such dog shall be liable to be immediately killed; and the owner or keeper of every such dog shall, on conviction, forfeit and pay a penalty or sum of hot more than five pounds for every such offence, over and above the amount of any damage which such dog may have occasioned.