Motueka Spit

[Grahame]

Below is a a part of an email just received from PaulG who is currently at Motueka. Its rather worrying, so hopefully one of you may know of a way to stop this happening

I have the company of 'black dog', a shaggy black labrador cross. He comes out
in the twilight and quarters the whole sandspit, zig-zagging back and forth thro
the breeding Tern, Bandie and Dott sites on the spit. He's in full hunting mode.
He's got a collar and tag, so must be a pet from the nearby houses.
Judging by the numbers of Terns and Oystercatchers dead on their nests, Black Dog
is pretty good at what he does. Maybe this place should be given some kind of
protected status? Motueka at least needs a dog control officer?

[Peter Hodge]

I suggest that Paul, as the person on the spot, rings Tasman District Council animal control's 24/7 number - 03 543 8400 - and reports what is happening. Under the Dog Control Act 1996, it's illegal for a dog to disturb or threaten protected wildlife, and the Act gives council officials (and constables) powers to seize any dog doing so. But they can't do anything if they don't know what's going on.

It would also be worth emailing DoC's Motueka office, motueka@doc.govt.nz. According to the DoC website, dogs aren't permitted on the spit (http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recrea ... -sandspit/). If Paul supplies more details I'm happy to do this.

Peter

[andrewcrossland]

It's unlawful for dogs to attack protected wildlife or, in fact, to even be at large near protected wildlife, poultry, livestock tc. The law requires the dog be put down unless there are extenuating circumstances (such as it slipped it's lead and the owner is trying to retrieve it). Anyone can lawfully seize s dog attacking wildlife but i think they have to then hand it over to a dog control officer, constable, etc.
A dog that has taken to hunting protected birds should be destroyed. Sorry to be so black and white about it . It doesn't matter if it's sheep or birds it's killing. It needs a bullet. Taman district dog control are the correct people to contact but unfortunately many dog control officers in nz are very pro dog and rarely take action other than give the owner a fine or warning. In other words they disregard the strong wording of the law on this matter. A different story though if the dog is killing sheep. I guess farmers get pretty upset and the dog control officers take the issue more seriously. So perhaps the best course of action is therrfore to tell local Doc and hopefully someone there understands what needs to be done and will get the required result.

[sophierose]

I'm pretty sure that dogs are allowed on the spit- there are a few signs that ask you to keep them on the lead because of the birds but they are in unsuitable positions where no one will be able to read them, and people don't keep them on leads anyway. I think someone was going to contact the TDC or DoC about more signs, but I think that they should ban dogs from the spit entirely.

[Liam Ballard]

I feel like some, if not most of us, are thinking the same thing. "Someone just go vigilante and shoot it."
Not saying it's lawful, not even saying it is the right thing to do. But I think many of you agree with me. It needs to be shot, and if the council doesn't do it, who will?

Well that's my bit.

[andrewcrossland]

Actually section 57 (1b) of the dog control act 1996" makes it very clear that a person ("vigilante " if you want to use that term) can lawfully destroy a dog if they actually observe it in the act of attacking protected wildlife. But generally a dog is seized rather than shot. Subsequently pursuant to section 57 (3) a court is obliged to order the destruction of a seized dog unless the court accepts that there was an extenuating circumstance. Ofcourse in the case of attacks on birds this rarely happens (unless perhaps if it's kiwis ) but it does happen when livestock are mauled. I'm addition, the dog owner also cops a fine. When it comes to dogs attacking livestock they often aquire a taste for blood and repeatedly go hunting. Once this happens (ie; multiple attacks not just an opportunistic one off) then farmers often (and quite rightly ) request the dog be destroyed and the authorities oblige. In the case if this motueka sandpit dog it sounds like it's hunting is of regular occurrence? If thats the case then it needs to be caught and it's owners need to be made to understand that it needs to be put down. It sounds hard but it's an age old fact of the countryside.

[Jan]

Yep, I agree with Andrew. Our dog is one of those who has got the 'hunting bug'. Not that she mauls things but she just simply adores chasing anything that moves and isn't a walker or in a vehicle. So she chases cyclists, joggers, horses, cows, sheep, pukeko, skinks, bumblebees, honeybees and most exciting of all rabbits!
It is a natural instinct for a dog, it's a predator after all. We are working hard at training her out of it, the joggers and cyclists are getting safer and she isn't taken where she can chase stock. Maybe she'll get a sting one day to put her off the bees, but nesting birds on the ground would be fair game and rabbits will never get a let off.

There must be so many dogs who would kill birds if given the chance, so banning dogs completely from sensitive areas like M spit is the only way to go.

[Granthod]

I was on Kina peninsula on 19th January, 2018, saw two dogs off leash, close to group of banded dotterels. I spoke to both owners, both of whom claimed that their dogs posed no threat to birds ( one because dog was 'old'). One owner was carrying a leash, and clipped it on when I asked. Signage was adequate, I would have thought, but in areas like this, I agree that total ban on dogs is required, because owners cannot be trusted to keep dogs under control and avoid breeding grounds.

[CMKMStephens]

Dogs are already restricted beyond the halfway point: http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recrea ... -sandspit/

I was down there for the Summer holiday however, and there was no sign on the spit, so presumably some entitled arse has removed it.

Similarly, I was at Waikanae sandspit on Monday, and there were dirtbike tracks all through it and people setting their dogs on the Oystercatchers. There's currently 1 Banded Dotterel chick on the spit.

For this and other cases, surely it's not the law, it's having someone to actually enforce it.

[zarkov]

Having recently come across dogs at Tawharanui [off a boat], Muriwai Gannet sanctuary carpark, [dog "just going to the toilet" according to the owner], and about to land at Dacre cottage from a boat at Okura estuary, I'm thinking of starting a Facebook page dedicated to photographs of pooches and their idiot owners.

Social media is where it's at nowadays, and humiliation and criticism are far more effective sanctions than rarely enforced bylaws etc.

When the photo of the 4x4 driving in the nesting area at the Ashley riverbed was posted here, and distributed on other forums [by me], the owner was reduced begging LTNZ to direct that his license plate details be obscured online.

I suggest that photos, including where possible vehicle registrations, local signage, times and dates be sent to relevant authorities, with copies here, or to me. Written complaints with photographic evidence are the best way of dealing with this sort of offense, and provide a record that can be used in other ways.