Auckland Councillors Call for Detailed Report on Dog Attacks

11 August 2015

North Shore Councillor George Wood is pleased that his request for a full report on how Auckland Council handles dog attacks, following the coverage of the extent of dog attacks across New Zealand, will be forthcoming.

The Regulatory and Bylaws Committee today requested Council officers prepare a full report with recommendations for the committee meeting on the 13 October 2015.

Councillor Wood made his request so that Auckland Council can address the claims by the Counties-Manukau District Health Board Plastic Surgeon Zach Moaveni and student Jonny Mair regarding the serious injuries that are being inflicted by dog attacks.

“I’ve followed the changes that have occurred with how these serious attacks by dogs are investigated and question how Auckland Council has become the lead agency as opposed to the Police. This is different to my days in the Police when the Police were the prime agency to handle these types of investigations”, says Councillor Wood.

Parliament rushed through new penalties for dog attack offences in 2003 following the Carolina Anderson incident in January that year. Within eleven months the maximum penalty for dog attacks causing serious injury increased from a sentence of three months’ imprisonment or a fine of $3000 to three years’ imprisonment or $20,000. Councillor Wood wonders if the changes have been as successful as were initially hoped.

Councillor Wood is concerned that despite the best intentions of Parliament in making rapid changes to the Dog Control Act in 2003, the problem still is a festering sore. “Auckland Council needs to look closely as to whether our systems to deliver dog control services are getting the best results”.

Councillor Wood awaits the report to be presented in October and hopes Auckland Council can address the concerns of Mr Moaveni and Jonny Mair in their report.

ENDS

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