Dog attacks on vineyard sheep an ‘accident waiting to happen’ in Marlborough

Sheep are often left to roam free in vineyards to help keep the grass and weeds down. Photo / Warren Buckland

Dog attacks on sheep roaming free in Marlborough’s vineyards are an “accident waiting to happen”, says the council’s animal control contract manager.

Jamie Clark said there had been six attacks on sheep in the past year and often “three or four or five” were attacked at once.

Not all of those sheep were in vineyards, but a council spokesperson said these areas were highlighted as an area of potential concern given the number of vineyards in the region with sheep.

Sheep were often left to roam free in vineyards as they helped with leaf plucking and helped keep the grass and weeds down between rows.

Clark presented the dog control annual report to the environment and planning committee last month.

Clark said it was not uncommon for people in Marlborough to take their dogs for walks in rural areas of Marlborough.

“[They] take their dogs through the vineyards and of course, it’s just an accident waiting to happen in some cases,” he said.

Meanwhile, a council spokesperson said sheep escaping vineyards also generated calls to the council, so people were encouraged to be “mindful of this”.

The spokesperson said people often let their dogs run “uncontrolled” in vineyards.

The agenda for the environment and planning committee meeting included minutes from the animal control subcommittee, which said the council was investigating an alleged “serious attack” in Spring Creek, north of Blenheim, in July.

Clark told the committee two dogs allegedly attacked eight sheep in that incident.

The council later said the case was “before the courts”, so would not clarify if it happened on a vineyard.

The subcommittee minutes said the dogs were being held at the pound, but the owner would not surrender them.

A council spokesperson clarified surrendering a dog meant ownership was transferred to the council.

“Council then decides what to do with the dog after temperament testing,” the spokesperson said.

“This includes rehoming, adoption or putting the dog to sleep due to risk if the dog is not suitable for rehoming due to its aggressive nature.”

The annual report presented to the committee said 10,695 dogs had been registered in the past financial year.

Of those, 2787 were working dogs.

The report showed there were 45 complaints about dogs “biting or rushing at a person” and 35 dog bites classed as “other”.

The region had 12 “dangerous” dogs and 17 “menacing” dogs.

There were 197 dogs impounded over the year, with 170 returned.

Some of those remaining were rehomed, and nine dogs were put down.

Clark explained the nine dogs put down would have failed temperament tests and the risk was too high to rehome them.

Animal control received 2372 dog complaints in the past financial year. Of those, 409 were for barking.

There were 243 infringements issued. Of those, 189 were for failing to register a dog and 26 were for failure to keep a dog controlled or confined.

Two people falsely notified the death of their dog.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.