A local expert says council plans to deal with menacing dogs will do little to solve the problem, and actively encourages bad dog owners, while punishing good dog owners.

Tauranga Council City Council and Western Bay of Plenty Council recently announced they were to offer an amnesty for owners of menacing dogs by giving them free neutering and microchipping, in addition to a subsidised muzzle and registration.

However, local pet food business owner Nita Maaka says these owners will still have no idea how to rear a dog or change any behaviour of their dogs, and does nothing to stop owners having more menacing dogs in the future.

'All dogs can be menacing, not just certain breeds. In fact out of all the dogs we have done training with, there has actually only been a couple of dogs that I would call menacing, the rest really just had status and boundary issues.”

Nita thinks a better solution would be for the council to create a licensing system funded by the local government and local council dog registration fees.

'Every dog owner has to hold a license, the license system is an opportunity for dog owners to learn about dogs and their behaviour. Just like when you are learning to drive, there are some basics that can save a lot of heartache, because a lot of people do not know how to rear dogs, or how to pro-actively train them into their family lifestyle. A lot of the problems people have is with all breeds, not just so called ‘menacing breeds'.”

'People are very quick to blame dogs for bad or menacing behaviour – but dogs are not born this way, they are reared this way. What the local councils and central government is doing may be a start, but much more can be done to dissolve the problems in the long term. Educate the problem out of society,” says Nita.

Western Bay of Plenty Council compliance and monitoring manager Alison Curtis agrees a de-sexing campaign on its own will not solve the problem.

'It's important to know this current national campaign, supported by both Western Bay and Tauranga City councils, to provide de-sexing for high risk dogs is just the first step in a national action plan to reduce the risk and harm of dog attacks,” says Alison.

'The Department of Internal Affairs has plenty of information from their national survey on reducing dog attacks, which showed respondents believe requiring owners to complete classes, and further education on dog behaviour are the two biggest requirements for reducing dog attacks.

'Our staff work closely with vet services locally to deliver puppy classes to new dog owners. These classes educate dog owners on the positives and pitfalls of dog ownership and provide dog (and owner) training. They are strongly recommended for all new dog owners.”

Tauranga City Council animal services team leader Brent Lincoln says the funding for this programme has largely been provided by central government and has minimal impact on local registration fees.

'One of the proposals from government will require owners of menacing dogs to demonstrate they have the skills and knowledge to manage such a dog. These processes are yet to be developed.”

He says Tauranga City Council has recently employed an education officer and is developing targeted programmes with a view to reducing harm caused by dogs in society.

'Council animal control officers also work with dog owners to help them understand the obligations and responsibilities associated with owning a dog. Generally a dog's demeanour is a combination of the breeding, the dog's personality, and ownership.”