Ryan Bridge: I've had it with vicious dogs

How many more children and pets will we tolerate being maimed and punctured to death on suburban streets before this actually gets taken seriously I’ve personally had three people in my life who who’ve been out for a walk with their wee pups, on a leash, registered for $200, poop bags in hand to do the right thing.  Only to be attacked by some absolutely viscous mongrel. And I mean absolutely ripped to pieces. Puncture wounds. Owners taken down to the ground. Blood everywhere. Shock. Hospital visits the humans, expensive vets for their animals. If they are lucky to survive, the road to recovery is long and poor old pup never shakes the anxiety. Nor does the owner. Kids faces look like they’ve been through the butchers. It’s gruesome. In Auckland alone. Last year. 3000 attacks. 15,000 roaming dogs reported.  This is a crisis and council say they’re cracking down but it’s not working and too slow.  The frustrating part is paying $200 to register your dog every year and then councils running scared when it comes time to destroying the aggressor.  They string it out. It goes through the courts. All the while mongrel often remains living near the aggressor. Same neighbourhood.  I know people who’ve moved suburbs to avoid dogs because they’ve got kids or a small pet themselves. This is completely ridiculous.  The solution is simple. Dog should be destroyed. Immediately. Owner banned from owning.  But they’re not. They’re treated like they’re the victims, too. And here’s one piece of advice in the meantime, if a dog is attacking you, or you witness a dog attacking another person or another dog, kill it.  It’s legal. If your actions will stop that attack from continuing, you have the right to seize or destroy it.  It’s the safest and most just action to take, if you can do so safely.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.