Wealthy Northland property owner admits his dog killed a kiwi

Brian Angliss aboard his Arun lifeboat in 2013. Photo / NZME

A Northland property owner whose anger over stray dogs attacking animals on his land made the news nine years ago, has admitted one of his own dogs killed a kiwi chick earlier this year.

Brian Angliss pleaded guilty this week to a charge of owning a dog that attacked stock.

The charge related to Angliss's pet border collie Bobby's visitation to a nest on Angliss and wife Christine's 50-acre bush-clad Russell Whakapara Rd property in March this year.

The incident was captured on a camera set up to monitor an adult kiwi and its chick in the nest, which were discovered by a pest control contractor last September.

The contractor found the dead chick near the nest about 80m from the Angliss' house on the property.

Camera footage recorded the dog at the nest for 27 minutes before walking off with a live kiwi in his mouth.

The adult kiwi did not return to the nest.

Angliss, 78, a retired engineer, once owned the British AC auto company which manufactured the classic Cobra car.

He featured in the media in 2013 when his offer to gift Coastguard Northern Region his world-class Arun lifeboat and cover the $400,000 vessel's running costs was rejected.

Angliss made the news again that same year when he discovered an alpaca had been killed by two roaming pig dogs on the Ngunguru property.

He confronted the dogs' owner at a neighbouring property, seeking $1000 compensation or permission to shoot the dogs before agreeing to give the man two weeks to "put things right".

Angliss later resolved to have the owner prosecuted.

After the dogs were located and seized by Animal Control officers, Angliss said he didn't want the dogs destroyed as "it's the owner to blame, not them".

The incident followed on from others at Angliss' Ngunguru property in 2010 and 2011 when an alpaca and Welsh mountain pony were savaged by roaming dogs and a goose was killed.

Angliss was not required to be at Whangārei District Court when his plea was entered on his behalf this week by counsel Todd Luders.

No conviction was entered, Luders signalling Angliss might apply to be discharged.

Angliss would definitely oppose the mandatory destruction of Bobby, Luders said.

Judge Greg Davis further remanded Angliss at large and scheduled an hour-long sentencing hearing for November 28, which will include a legal argument as to the dog's fate.

A summary of facts recorded statements Angliss made to DoC about having four dogs at the Russell property, none of which were contained.

He and his wife Chris were "staggered" by Bobby's actions, which were "out of character", Angliss said.

He had not previously encountered the need to protect native wildlife as it was "unheard of in the UK" and he had never struck any similar problem at the Ngunguru property as there was no protected wildlife on it.

While two of his dogs were taken for walks on a lead, it was not possible to walk all four that way so two were walked off-lead at the same time.

It was not practical to keep the dogs caged 23 hours a day and he did not want to "torture" them with kiwi aversion training.

"It seems the only other option is to relocate the kiwi from our land," Angliss said.

Judge Davis said Angliss' statements showed he had a cavalier attitude towards housing his dogs. And, his comments about being unaware of the need to protect kiwi beggared belief.

The judge noted there were likely numerous road signs and other notices in the immediate vicinity of the property – as there were throughout Northland - alerting people to the presence of kiwi and warning of the need to keep dogs under control.