Dogs are predators, Far North District Council animal control officer reminds owners

The Far North District Council's northern animal shelter, outside Kaitaia, can cater for up to 20 dogs, with separate quieter areas for the elderly and anxious. Photo / Peter Jackson

When rogue dogs are roaming, it is often the task of council animal control officers to help halt their trail of destruction.

Far North District Council animal management team leader Ken Thomas, who has more than 30 years of experience, said he believed the recent problems of dogs in the Far North were unlikely to be truly feral dogs but were more likely to be unsupervised animals.

"These were not hunting for food, they were killing for fun. Unfortunately, once dogs get a taste for worrying stock, they will not stop until they are caught,'' he said.

Owners need to learn about the needs and natural behaviours of their animals. This applies to all types of animals but top of the natural order are dogs, he said.

"A dog is a canine predator and owners need to always be vigilant.

"Letting them off for a run and then going inside to leave them unsupervised is not being a good owner,'' he said.

Thomas said the job of animal control had changed hugely over the years.

"When I started our role was primarily in rural areas, doing regular runs dosing for diseases such as sheep measles, which is a disease that can be spread by dogs. We had a good handle on what was happening in each area as we were seeing them every six or eight weeks.

FNDC animal control team leader Ken Thomas. Photo / supplied

"We knew all the dogs and their owners, and we would often help with rehoming animals that were no longer wanted,'' he said.

There were now many more dogs in towns and on lifestyle blocks, which had changed the nature of the job.

"There are a lot more dogs around,'' he said.

An early encounter with a vicious white German shepherd prompted him to undertake canine studies to learn more about the behaviour of man's best friend.

"It came straight at me and almost got me with what looked like about 3000 teeth. Luckily I had the common sense to stand really still."

He said people often tried to match human characteristics to animal behaviour but this was a mistake.

"They can be part of your family, but they are not another child. They are still a dog with all their natural instincts.

"If you own a dog, it pays to know about dog behaviour and how to deal with behavioural issues,'' he said. "You need to know what makes them tick.''

Thomas highlighted the expertise of equestrians, giving subtle instructions to get horses to respond.

"They know how their horses work, and make it look so easy. But it is the product of hours of work. Understanding their animal helps them get the best out of it,'' he said.

Thomas said every animal has natural instincts for survival.

"People think their cute little dog couldn't possibly have got into trouble, but I've seen hundreds of cases over the years of breeds like huntaways and border collies that have killed sheep.

"I've seen corgis hanging off the legs of cattle and tearing strips off their back legs. Jack Russells can be domineering and snappy.

"Every single dog has the potential to revert to type and they will do it very quickly,'' he said.

"It's not the dog with the problem, it's the owner with the attitude problem.''

Thomas said top pig hunters with packs of dogs did not usually cause any trouble.

"We don't usually find those dogs unhealthy or exhibiting bad behaviour.

"But there are some wannabes that don't spend enough time with their animals.''

Thomas said winter months often brought more incidences of wandering stock as feed becomes scarce.

"If the feed is not there, they are going to push through fences to find grass and sometimes this can lead to problems with neighbours or serious road accidents.'' He urged landowners to keep boundary fences in good condition.

Animal control officers work closely with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) staff on animal welfare.

"We have limits to what we are allowed to do, and some cases might involve the SPCA or even become a police matter, especially if there are injuries involved.''

Thomas encouraged all owners to microchip their animals, including working dogs.

"Working dogs are not currently required to be chipped but they are valuable animals so it makes sense to make them identifiable to they can be returned if they were stolen or lost.

"We have had a couple of neat success stories recently with dogs returned to their owners after being scanned. One had been gone six months and another four years and we were able to get them back home,'' he said.

All dogs that end up in the FNDC pound must be microchipped before they are released.

Thomas said animal control staff had a huge area to cover and tried their best to respond to incidents as quickly as possible.

"We might not be able to attend immediately but we will always get back to people,'' he said.