In August 2009 an attack by a pack of pig dogs shocked New Zealand:

A Putaruru woman mauled by eight pig hunting dogs thought it was only a matter of time before they killed her. …

Mrs Christensen was left in a blood-covered heap on the road-side gravel; she was covered in dog bites and sustained injuries to her scalp, back, arms and legs. …

Mrs Christensen has a strong message for dog owners about the need to restrain their animals, and she wants the public to report roaming dogs: “I hope I can contribute something so it doesn’t happen again.

[Via : Living to tell her story - national | Stuff.co.nz.]

The dogs have since been destroyed and the owner prosecuted.

Boar hunting.

The nature of hunting dogs

You have to keep in mind that pig dogs are bred and trained to hunt wild pigs. They aren’t household pets that sit up and beg to earn a treat. These dogs have to be brave and fierce to do their job.

Keep dogs under control

Apparently these dogs were unrestrained at the time of the attack.

All dogs need to be kept under control at all times. This awful event is a good reminder to all of us: know where our dog is and what it’s doing.

As someone pointed out recently: dogs aren’t robots. They are living, breathing, unpredictable creatures (just like us humans).

It doesn’t really matter if the dog’s in another room, out in the yard or wandering loose, it can still act in ways that surprise us.

The pack intensity

We have to remember that pack instinct too. We have two small dogs. I’ve seen the two of them form a pack to gang up on our cats. They operate very well together.

At least with 2 you need only remove one to break up the pack. More than 2 is a whole other matter.

Image source Wikimedia Commons: Boar hunting, tacuinum sanitatis casanatensis (14th century).

It’s more than a year since the City of Sydney introduced dog-friendly policies and off-leash parks. Now they’re finding owners are being more responsible and fewer animals are ending up in the Pound:

… figures show huge increases in the number of dogs in all Sydney metropolitan council areas. …

But this apparent dog boom may simply be a boom in responsible pet ownership. Council campaigns encouraging owners to microchip and register their dogs are working, councils and veterinaries said.

… microchipping had reduced the number of animals in the council’s shelter.

…Dog-friendly strategies encourage residents to get dogs or people with dogs to move to the area.

The Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, who has championed the social benefits of dog ownership, said the majority of feedback she had received since the designation of new off-leash parks in April last year had been positive.

[Via : Chips on shoulder or barking mad? City gone to dogs.]

Bob Kerridge, executive director of the SPCA Auckland, New Zealand has some thoughts on dog licensing:

Imagine a city whose dog-owning residents are aware of their responsibilities, both to the dogs and their fellow humans, and are made accountable for the actions of their dogs.

This is achievable through the simple act of licensing the owner, not the dog. In providing a licence to individuals for the privilege of having a dog it would, in the first instance, be necessary for the person to be educated into the essential responsibilities that go with such an entitlement.

In this regard the Code of Welfare for Dogs is a document, soon to be updated by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, which contains the essential standards of canine care so necessary in the health and welfare of the animal, together with helpful guidelines into their care.

[Via : Bob Kerridge: License owners to solve dog's breakfast of canine control - Animals - NZ Herald News.]

The (New Zealand) National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee:

…is a ministerial advisory committee established under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

The Committee’s main function is to advise the Minister of Agriculture on animal welfare matters relating to farm, companion, wild and pest animals. It has a number of other functions, including providing advice on the content of codes of welfare specifying minimum standards for animal treatment and recommendations for best practice.

The Committee is progressively reviewing existing voluntary codes of recommendation and minimum standards which will be replaced by codes of welfare. The minimum standards in codes of welfare can be used to support a prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act, or conversely, can be used as a defence to prosecution.

The Code of Animal Welfare was published in May 1998, and includes these areas of concern:

1. Nutrition
2. Water
3. Housing
4. Exercise
5. Health and disease
6. Transport
7. Training
8. Breeding and reproduction
9. Surgical procedures
10. Injuries
11. Euthanasia
12. General

It’s an interesting read, especially (for us townies) the sections on exercise and transport.

What do you think: should we license dogs or their owners? Leave a Comment below.