WTF???

Every once and a while I read an animal welfare story that saddens me beyond belief.

This week it is the story of Chip, a tiny puppy that was dumped in a garbage bin. Thankfully he was discovered and rescued.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that this is a happy ending and that Chip had a long and happy life ahead of him.

Sadly that probably isn't going to happen. Chip will probably die needlessly.

Despite the fact that the person who found chip (and several others) had asked to adopt him, Auckland City Council Animal Control have decided that they will most probably euthanise chip.

Their reason - Chip could be a pitbull.

I don't know about you but I'm outraged by this decision in more ways than I can count.

For a start, Chip may have classic pitbull characteristics (muscular jaws, stocky build etc), but that doesn't mean he is a pitbull. It appears that No genetic testing has been done and this life or death decision is being made purely on a subjective whim. That is simply not good enough.

Putting dogs down because they are a certain breed is shameful. We wouldn't do this humans (we were outraged when the nazi's did it back in WW2) so why are we doing it to defenseless dogs such as Chip? Besides it isn't the dog that is the issue it is human ignorance that is the real problem.

Adding further insult to injury, it turns out that Chip has had numerous offers of adoption. That's right, this entire problem already has a solution that doesn't involve the senseless killing of a puppy.

But he might be a pitbull.

so fucking what!

Pitbulls need a special type of owner who understands the breed and can look after them responsibly.

Sadly New Zealands Animal control units (who are chronically underfunded and stretched) are hamstrung by idiotic council and poorly thought through council bylaws such is the one being used as an excuse to kill Chip, even though he has a perfectly good home on offer from several experienced dog owners.

Perhaps it is time that New Zealand's abysmal animal welfare laws were given a shot in the arm. Here's what I propose:

1) Penalise the owners/breeders, not the dog. Pitbull's can do a lot of damage to a human, and there are plenty of stories of this happening in the media. What isn't talked about so often is the sad fact that people who don't have a clue about these dogs and their unique needs tend to end up owning them.  For every pitbull attack that has happened, there is usually a human being who has abdicated responsibility and who will more often than not, just go buy another dog. These people need to be held to account and more importantly educated

2) Educate, educate and educate. We have preferential owner status which equates to a discount registration fees. It seems like a good idea and a smart way to encourage responsible dog ownership. Trouble is so many people buy a cute little puppy like chip and then discover after the fact that owning a dog involves some hard (but worthwhile) work. That is why so many dogs like Chip get dumped and suffer horribly.

Surely discounting registration fees for humans who have taken their puppies to recognised and certified canine obedience classes and passed  makes a tonne of sense. These classes are more about teaching human dumb-asses about their dogs than actual dog training. People who know what they are doing with a dog and who can correctly respond to a dogs needs are far less likely to have problem dogs.

Education should also being aimed at intending dog adopters. Too many people adopt a dog with zero knowledge about what is involved too many buy from puppy mills instead of adopting. Matching the right breed to peoples lifestyles and informing them about what is involved in having a new dog/puppy BEFORE any adoptions happen could save a lot of grief for both dogs and humans.

Similarly, educating kids and parents about how to approach a dog - simple things like asking the owner "can I pat your dog" before rushing up could also significantly reduce the number of dog attacks.

3) Strengthen Animal Welfare Laws. At the moment animal abusers who are caught get the equivalent of a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket. Even though they have often inflicted horrific injuries onto a defenseless animal. The current legal framework leaves courts largely powerless and limits penalties to a fine and an unenforceable ban on owning pets. That we can send people to jail for smoking pot and let people with brutality against animals is repugnant. Animal abusers, and irresponsible owners need to be held accountable. Then there is the fact hat FBI profilers have found a huge correlation between animal abusers and murderers/violent criminals....

There is no such thing as a perfect solution, but the existing situation borders on insanity. It should be a source of shame for all New Zealanders with a conscience. Should they be applied, these three solutions could dramatically reduce the amount of animal related crime in New Zealand, saving councils a packet in enforcement costs....

If you want to let the Auckland City Council animal control unit know of your disgust at what is being proposed for Chip, there is a petition. Please sign it. It can be found at https://www.change.org/p/auckland-council-savechip please encourage everyone you know to also sign it

UPDATE: Not long after this was written the sad news came out that Chip was euthanised. A council spokesperson said Chip was seriously ill and the decision was made. Without wanting to sound like a total conspiracy nutcase, I find it a little convenient that Chip was removed from the equation and that the council so deftly side-stepped the issue of dog policies founded on ignorance.