The proposed new animal by-law, which does not appear to be animal friendly, poses some interesting issues.

Firstly, with the expansion of Tauranga city, there are now many rural areas within the city boundaries. These areas and farms have existing land rights and in most cases fee simple rights. Any diminishing of these surely comes under the law of takings, so what compensation is forthcoming from the council for any loss or lessening of these rights potentially in perpetuity?

Secondly, what is the reasoning behind this animal discrimination? It would seem dogs create more potential harm and nuisance than a pet pig or goat (and what about bunnies, rats, and guinea pigs, or are these also pigs?) Registration has nothing to do with it apart from increasing council revenue as dog registration started as funding a means of hydatid control, hence the fee.

Lastly, a commonly used way of calculating land use sustainability is the 'stock unit' i.e. the number of animals that can be supported per hectare of land. Someone in the city could have a tiny land area, while someone on the fringes could have many hectares. If such a bylaw is introduced, a system based on land title area should be seriously considered, as has been suggested.

Y James, Tauriko.