Strict dog control laws soon, council told

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 576, 7 March 1995, Page 10

Strict dog control laws soon, council told

Dog control laws are about to change which will give local authorities more power to do their job. The RuapehuDistrict Council discussed the changes and submissions to the government on the changes at their February meeting. Major changes include: □ Introduction of infringement notices (instant fines) for mirtor offences by dog owners. □ The power to disqualify dog owners (from owning dogs) who repeatedly offend. □ Powers to classify individual dogs as dangerous. □ Penalty increases for offences by up

to 200 per cent. □ Greater powers for dog control officers including the power to seize and retain persistently noisy or dangerous dogs. □ Requirement for the council to adopt a policy on dogs in public places, after public consultation. Cr Bob Peck asked how the law change would make any difference when there were already cases where bad dog owners could not be punished through lack of resources to police the current laws. Council chief executive Cliff Houston said the law was being strengthened, and the level of policing was "directly related to the resources the council is prepared to put into it" (policing the dog control laws).