An animal behavioural expert wants owners of dogs that kill or injure people to feel the full force of the law, as canine attacks again hit the news.
Kevin Stafford also says owners of dangerous dogs should be encouraged to have them euthanised.
The Massey University professor's calls come in a week when a heavily pregnant woman was attacked by a staffordshire-cross in Christchurch and a 7-year-old was mauled by his uncle's dog in Auckland.
"It is nonsensical that a dog can kill a person in New Zealand and the owner may be charged under the Dog Control Act for not having control of the dog," he said.
"If a dog attacks someone, the owner should automatically be charged with assault as such a dog is essentially a loaded weapon ...
"Dogs kill people in New Zealand. If you own dogs and they kill somebody you should certainly be charged with manslaughter."
Professor Stafford, who owns three dogs, would also like to see dog control laws simplified, so canines are classified as either dangerous or non-dangerous. Owners of dangerous animals should be encouraged to have them euthanised, he says.
Otago University law professor Mark Henaghan said assault laws probably wouldn't work for dog owners, because some intent to cause wrong-doing was needed.
But laws governing being in charge of a dangerous thing or assault with a weapon might apply in some cases, as could manslaughter.
Professor Henaghan thought it might make more sense to legislate for an owner's carelessness or recklessness. "I think you've got to make the offence fit the circumstances rather than extend the law of assault, because I think that's tricky to do."
SPCA's Auckland chief executive, Andrea Midgen, said she couldn't support a call for all dangerous dogs to be euthanised.
"Some other methods ... could be used, for instance all of those dogs should be desexed. Also those dogs could go through temperament testing to assess their suitability to be out in the community."
Dogs with unsuitable temperaments were not rehomed by the SPCA and euthanasia was one way of dealing with them, she said.
Tuesday's Christchurch attack was stopped by a neighbour, who said the dog was on heat and went "ballistic".
Cory Whyte was watching TV at home when he heard a woman screaming next door.
He rushed outside and saw a staffordshire-cross dog latched on to his neighbour - a 23-year-old woman about 30 weeks pregnant. It was biting her feet, legs, and forearm.
A quick-thinking Mr Whyte, who used to breed miniature staffordshires, started kicking the fence. That distracted the dog long enough for the woman to get to safety inside.
A male dog had been brought around to mate with the bitch before the attack, he believed.
The two dogs were seized by Christchurch City Council's animal control unit, which is investigating.
The woman suffered moderate injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, St John said.
And on Saturday, Darnell Minarapa-Brown, 7, was attacked by his uncle's dog in Takanini, leaving him needing more than 100 facial stitches. The dog was euthanised.
Two studies presented by Kiwi medical professionals last year show hospital admissions for people with dog-bite injuries average two a day.
A study published in August found 99,000 dog bites had been recorded nationally in the decade to 2014, with more than 5800 requiring hospital treatment.
Incident rates increased from 10.5 attacks per 100,000 people to 14.3 over the 10-year period.
More than 2500 charges were made under the Dog Control Act in the past five financial years. A little more than 350 dog destruction orders were granted in that time.
