Roaming dogs are a common occurrence in our little town of Raglan.
There are many problems with this situation, for instance, a roaming dog is more likely to chase and potentially injure stock (also putting themselves in immediate danger); they are at a much greater risk of being in a road traffic accident (putting people in danger, i.e. drivers swerving to avoid hitting the dog); plus the risk of other events such as eating poisons (rat bait, ethylene glycol), or swallowing fish hooks etc.
This is not to mention those dogs that have been poorly socialized and may get into dog fights or even attack people. Unfortunately these situations always end badly for the dog, however the owner is often largely at fault.
There are many reasons a dog might find themselves out roaming the streets, and more times than not, these reasons fall back heavily on the owner. These may include a lack of adequate fencing or a secure area for the dog; lack of attention from the owner and the dog becoming bored,; lack of education in the owner around neutering of dogs resulting in wandering behaviour’s in seeking other dogs etc. There are also those owners who do not see any issue with allowing their dogs to wander the streets on a daily basis, and therefore have no intention of addressing the matter.
This is a big issue, and should not be taken lightly. As a vet clinic, we have many dogs handed in due to ‘roaming’, some on a regular basis. There are multiple steps that can be taken to avoid escaping dogs, such as simply ensuring, as a responsible dog owner, that you have secure fencing. If your dog is registered with the council, microchipped and added to the NZ companion animal register, then should your dog manage to escape at any point, they can be promptly reunited with their owner and kept out of harms way. Additionally, for a very small cost, you may consider purchasing an engraved dog ID tag for your dogs’ collar containing your contact details.
Let’s aim for a safer community for our families and our pets.
For more information, or should you have any questions regarding the issue, please do not hesitate to contact the clinic to speak to a nurse.
The Anexa Team
