It is impossible to ignore the problem of dangerous dogs in Hawke's Bay.
For some reason we seem to have a proliferation of unregistered dangerous and menacing dogs - many of them Pitt Bulls or Pitt Bull-crosses.
It is almost as if it is a badge of honour to some people to have an unregistered muscle-dog. On a good day, these illegal dogs snarl and snap at passers-by from the properties on which they live. On a bad day, they throw themselves at fences in an attempt to get out and attack a family pet being properly walked on the footpath. On the very worst days, they attack and maim or kill another dog or a child.
There is no point in trying to paint the picture any other way. Our reports on page one today show that dangerous dog attacks have become an almost weekly occurrence.
Napier City Council is considering increasing the fees it charges owners of impounded dangerous and menacing dogs, meaning it could cost as much as $600 to get a seized animal back.
In Hastings, where Mayor Lawrence Yule has been campaigning to get-tough on unregistered, dangerous dogs, the council is considering getting harder still.
Hastings is proposing to increase the charges for unregistered dogs from $619 for the first impounding to $826. By the third impounding it could cost $976 to retrieve a dangerous dog.
Dogs that are not registered within seven days could be destroyed. The proposed harsher fees are among a raft of get-tough measures the Hastings mayor has put to council, including extra animal control staff, regular night patrols, a dob-in-a-dog programme and an amnesty for owners worried about aggressive behaviour by their dogs .
The message from both councils is clear - most dangerous dogs are unregistered and they are going to get much tougher on their owners.
While the country waits for legislative action from the Government, it is right and proper that local councils reflect community concern and take a tough stance. It has to start somewhere, and there is every reason for it to be here.
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