Bugger! New rules for dogs on utes
Dogs on the back of a ute, on a dusty rural road: a scene that captures heartland New Zealand.
But new animal welfare regulations promise to complicate moving sheepdogs between paddocks, and other farming practices besides, with the threat of a fine from October.
Marlborough farmer Rick Hammond’s four bearded collies travel on the back of his truck nearly every day, along public rural roads, as Hammond feeds 3000 sheep on his Awatere Valley farm. He has a soft spot for working dogs, often taking in abandoned or injured dogs, but he thinks the Ministry for Primary Industries’ new rules go a bit far.
Dogs on the back of a truck, trailer or ute, travelling on a public road, have to be tied up if not in a cage or crate. The only exception is if farm dogs are actively helping to move livestock along public roads, in which case they can jump on and off a vehicle.
People caught breaking that law could be fined up to $900 under new animal welfare regulations from October.
Hammond said he suspected farmers across the country would be rolling their eyes.
‘‘You shouldn’t have to tie your dogs up just for a 300-metre trip to the other paddock.’’
But he understood the reasoning, recalling several instances where dogs were injured falling from a truck, or being hit by another vehicle.
Hammond said he generally approved of the new regulations, which include rules about shelter and water for dogs, and banned docking tails.
Federated Farmers animal welfare spokesman Miles Anderson said he understood why the regulation about restraining dogs on vehicles could be irritating for some farmers.
However, it did not cover dogs on mopeds, motorbikes or allterrain vehicles, he noted.
It’s put there with the safety of the dog in mind.’’
Many farmers had to cross public roads to get from one side of the farm to the other, barely justifying a stop to tether a dog on a truck, Anderson said.
‘‘I would expect animal welfare inspectors to have a bit of common sense around the issue.’’
The regulations also cover stock transport and the treatment of calves, cattle, crabs and rock lobster, goats, horses, hens, llamas and alpacas, pigs and sheep. Fireworks at rodeos are banned, and several types of traps are forbidden. Associate Minister of Agriculture Meka Whaitiri said the new regulations were to help animal welfare inspectors impose penalties for offences that did not necessarily warrant prosecution. Penalties range from infringement fines, with a maximum penalty of $25,000 for commercial offenders, to a criminal conviction, depending on the severity of the harm inflicted.