Nick Mills: Dog laws must change to avoid tragedy

EDITORIAL: 

This is one of those stories that leaves you feeling angry, frustrated and, most of all, heartbroken for a little girl and her family. 

A five-year-old girl has been left with serious facial injuries after being mauled by a dog that had been released from the Porirua pound just one day earlier. 

According to evidence presented in court, the dog, called Thanos, had already attacked an 18-year-old family member in January.  

That attack resulted in facial injuries, antibiotics and treatment. The dog was impounded and classified as dangerous. 

But after the owner asked for it to be returned, the council released it, warning the owner that the adults at the Cambridge property where it was going to live had to be told about the risks and the need for vigilance. 

Then came the tragedy. 

The very next day, a five-year-old girl was in a garage playing fetch with the dog.  

The dog that had just been released after attacking an 18 year old. 

The dog was not wearing a muzzle. It was not on a lead.  

It attacked her, causing horrific injuries to her cheek and lip. 

She required surgery to repair what doctors described as a complex wound. Blood supply had to be restored.  

Today she carries scars across her lip, beside her nose and under her eye and it is horrific. 

And that's where my sympathy lies this morning.  

Not with the council, bad decision. Not with the dog owner, horrific decision. Not with the dog which knows no better. 

With a little girl who will likely remember this for the rest of her life. 

I love dogs. I've owned dogs. Most dog owners are responsible people.  

But we are making a mistake in this country when we start pretending dogs are people. 

They're not. 

They're animals. Some are powerful.  

This dog had already shown aggression. It had already attacked someone.  

Yet somehow, within 24 hours of being released, it was around a young child without the most basic precautions being taken. 

Knowing that this dog had attacked someone before.  

That to me is simply not good enough. 

Owning a dog is a privilege. It's not a right.  

And when a dog has already shown it can attack, the responsibility on the owner becomes even greater.  

Once a dog has attacked, there is no ifs no buts no maybes they have to be put down. Simple. Simple, because they will do it again.  

The lesson from this story is simple. Love your dogs. Care for your dogs.  

But never ever forget what they're capable of doing. 

Because when people get complacent, it's innocent children who end up paying the price. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
A'd be This is one of those stories that leaves
you feeling well, left me feeling really angry, frustrated and
most of all heartbroken for a little girl in her family.
A five year old girl has been left with serious
facial injuries after being mauled by a dog that had

(00:35):
been released from a Porru pound just one day earlier. Now,
if you just think the story can't get any worse,
it does well as worse as worse can be. According
to evidence presented in court, the dog called Fanos, had

(00:56):
already attacked an eighteen year old family member in January.
The attack resulted in facial injuries, antibiotics and treatment. The
dog was impounded and classified as dangerous, but after the
owner asked for it to be returned, the council released it,

(01:20):
warning the owner that the adults at the Cambridge property
where it was going to live they had to be
told about the risks and it needed and the need
for vigilance. Then came the tragedy. The very next day,
a five year old girl was in a garage playing
fetch with the dog. Five year old girl playing fetch

(01:42):
with the dog that had just been released after attacking
an eighteen year old. The dog was not wearing a muzzle,
was not on a lead, and it attacked her, causing
horrific injuries to her cheek and lip. She required surgery
to repair what doctors described as a complex wound. Blood

(02:07):
supply had to be restored. Today she carries a scar
across her lip and beside her nose and under her eye,
and it is horrific. And that's where my sympathy lies
this morning. Not with the counsel bad decision, not with

(02:29):
the dog owner horrific decision, and not with the dog
it knows no better, with a little girl who will
likely remember this for the rest of her life. I
love dogs. I've owned dogs. Most dog owners are responsible people.
But we're making a mistake in this country when we

(02:50):
start pretending that dogs are people. They're not. They're animals,
and some are powerful animals. This dog had already shown aggression,
it had already attacked somebody, Yet somehow, within twenty four
hours of being released, it was around a young child

(03:11):
without the most basic precautions being taken. Knowing that this
dog had attacked someone before, that to me is not
good enough. Criminal. Owning a dog is a privilege, not
a right, and when a dog has already shown it
can attack, the responsibility on the owner becomes even greater.

(03:35):
Once a dog is attacked, there is no if, no butts,
no babies. They have to be put down, simple, simple,
because they'll do it again. And the lessons that we
learned from this is simple. Love your dogs, care for
your dogs, but never ever forget what they are capable

(03:58):
of doing, because when people get complacent, it's innocent children
who end up paying the price.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio