SPCA boss Bob Kerridge dogged by comments about owner ethnicity and dog attack convictions

SPCA Auckland executive director Bob Kerridge with Bertha, an English bulldog. Mr Kerridge says he stands by his comments about the ethnicity of dog owners and conviction rates. Photo/ Herald file

The executive director of SPCA Auckland has stood by his controversial comments that ethnicity plays a part in the high number of dog attack convictions in South Auckland.

Bob Kerridge was yesterday widely reported as saying that the ethnicity of dog owners played a role in attacks.

"It's a fair suggestion that ethnicity does have a bearing factor in terms of dog attacks, particularly borne of the fact in the various of groups that we have - those of immigrant [groups] and Pacific Island people - that dog ownership is not natural to them," Mr Kerridge told Radio New Zealand.

His comments were criticised by Mangere MP S'ua William Sio and Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy, who described them as "unhelpful" and "incredibly offensive".

Figures released under the Official Information Act show there were 314 dog attack convictions in South Auckland between 2009 and 2014. In Auckland City, there were 77 convictions in the same period.

Mr Kerridge told Radio New Zealand's Morning Report programme this morning he stood by his comments.

"I think the figures speak for themselves," Mr Kerridge said.

"If you look at Manukau City and its make-up of population then obviously it is a very varied population - both immigrants and ethnic people.

"In terms of our own prosecutions for dog offences, a very, very large percentage of those are also ethnic and also from South Auckland.

"What we're saying is, this is a contributing factor, we're not making an issue of it."

Mr Kerridge highlighted Pacific Island groups and "other immigrants" as being partially responsible, but conceded that SPCA conviction figures did not record ethnicity.

"Socioeconomics is another contributing factor, there's not much we can do about that.

"We're not pointing the finger at anyone, we're just generalising and saying that it is a contributing factor.

"The bottom line is, education is required."

Mr Kerridge declined any suggestion that he was racist. "I haven't got a racist bone in my body."

A large contributing factor behind dog attacks was ignorance, Mr Kerridge said. "And therefore we need education."

Mr Kerridge added that he favoured licensing owners instead of registering individual dogs.