After a woman was killed by dogs in Northland last month, and a father and son were critically injured in Christchurch, there was a flurry of calls for law reform. It was the fourth death by dog in four years.
Blind Low Vision NZ reported attacks on its dogs and has had to decline guide-dog placements in areas prone to dog attacks.
In New Plymouth, a woman was charged last Monday over owning a dog that killed a 4-year-old last year.
ACC dog-related injuries have risen 20% since 2020, reaching 29,220 in 2024-25. Nearly half were dog bites — usually limbs in adults, but in children, more often the face, head or neck, simply because they are smaller.
The problems are most acute in Northland, where roaming packs have driven potential visitors away from some areas. Those wild dogs surely need to be hunted ruthlessly and shot.
During one of the periodic dog panics, the 1996 Dog Control Act was amended. Imports of certain breeds were banned, and a new "menacing" classification was created.
But that was only tinkering at the edges. Various groups, including the SPCA, now call for a full overhaul of the 30-year-old Act.
Last month, the SPCA wrote an open letter urging Parliament to replace outdated breed-specific rules with evidence-based, nationally consistent tools focused on individual behaviour and responsible ownership.
Proposals have included mandatory reporting of all dog-related injuries by vets and health professionals, and compulsory desexing of dogs not owned by registered breeders.
Animal management officers should have greater powers to seize dogs immediately in some circumstances and to set minimum fencing standards.
Owners’ appeal rights should be limited to one, and infringement notices should be available for dangerous or menacing dogs, or for attacks on people, especially children.
Such changes won’t solve everything, but the scale of the problem demands substantive reform.
It’s not just people attacked and injured. Roaming or uncontrolled dogs kill and injure pets as well as wildlife, including kiwi and penguins. Any farmer near a town or city dreads finding sheep mauled and maimed.
The government says it has run out of time before the election to overhaul the Act, though Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says it supports giving councils more power.
Law changes must be a priority for the next government, with cross-party support for decisive action.
Of course, it’s not the dog’s fault if it’s neglected, poorly trained or allowed to roam near vulnerable wildlife.
Most of New Zealand’s 830,000 dogs are capable of biting, whether known to the victim or not.
Dogs are often dearly loved companions, but the dangers they can pose must be recognised and managed.
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The latest word to irritate curmudgeon Civis is "ideation", uttered by a guest on RNZ.
What a fancy, pretentious word when simpler, clearer language works better. What’s wrong with thinking, creating, brainstorming or simply forming ideas?
Although "ideation" dates to the early 1800s, it has become insidious business and marketing jargon over the past 30 years.
It can be used to sound superior and put others in their place. Instead, it’s an ignorant and uncreative substitute for "creativity".
Its specialised use in mental health is another reason general application is far from ideal.
It’s a dog, and it should be gone.
