A life-chained dog from South Auckland who was being helped by the charity Chained Dog Awareness NZ last year. He has since disappeared. Photo: Chained Dog Awareness NZ
The government is introducing rules to punish people who endanger the welfare of their dogs by tying them up for too long.
The new rules, which come into force in September, mean a person must not tether a dog by rope, line or chain attached to a fixed point for where they suffer harm.
The changes will give animal welfare inspectors the power to issue infringements if they identify a dog is suffering harm from being tied up for long periods.
It also means vulnerable dogs, like puppies or pregnant dogs, cannot be tethered at all apart from a few exceptions like visitors or other animals being on someone's property temporarily.
Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
In a statement, Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard said prolonged tethering causes significant distress to dogs and affects their health by limiting their freedom to move around.
"This can lead to excessive barking, aggression and other behaviours which could endanger their welfare, and the safety of families that own dogs, the public and other animals."
Hoggard said the new rules targeted "unacceptable treatment" from a small minority of owners.
"Prolonged confinement and tethering of dogs is one of the most common areas investigated by SPCA. They tell me they receive daily calls about it and it accounts for about 10 percent of dog-related welfare complaints. That's why we're putting a stop to it."
The penalties for those who commit an infringement are:
- $300 if the animal welfare inspector considers the offence has the potential to cause mild short-term harm to the animal.
- $500 if the animal welfare inspector considers the offence has the potential cause mild to moderate short-term harm to the animal.
Prosecution is also possible.
There are some exceptions: working dogs, such as farm dogs are exempt, so long as they are off-tether regularly and get enough exercise.
Responsible dog owners who love and care for their animals and regularly take them out for walks won't be affected by the new rules, Hoggard said.
In a statement, the SPCA's Scientific Officer Dr Alison Vaughan welcomed the new rules and said the regulations send a loud message that long-term chaining of dogs was not acceptable in our society.
"This is a long-fought and hard-won victory for dogs across Aotearoa. These new regulations are the outcome of years of hard work by SPCA's advocacy function. Too many dogs have suffered, chained for months, years, or even their whole lives - this is simply the right thing to do. Dogs deserve to be part of the family, not chained up and forgotten.
"We know these changes won't solve every case overnight, but it's a step forward, and one that will permit our Inspectors to act in situations where they couldn't before... but our work is far from finished. We remain committed to advocating for regulations to address prolonged confinement (caging)."
The new rules come into effect on 25 September.
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