Concerns raised over wandering dogs in Gore, Mataura

A Gore district councillor has suggested that the dog ranger may need to "get a better gun" if she was having trouble catching some of the numerous wandering dogs in Gore and Mataura.

Cr Steve Dixon's flippant remark at this week's operations committee meeting was prompted by the continual high number of wandering dogs being dealt with in the towns.

There were 38 in June and July.

Cr Graham Sharp warned that someone was going to be badly bitten.

"I feel like a broken gramophone record; the problem of wandering dogs just hasn't gone away," he said.

Cr Peter Grant was concerned about wandering stock, which were also dealt with by the dog ranger.

Rural ratepayers may need to "dip into their pockets" to fund callouts to stock, he said.

Even councillors did not escape scrutiny, with dairy farmer and deputy mayor Cliff Bolger potted for having stock on the road.

In his defence, Cr Bolger said the claim he had been negligent was an overstatement of the circumstances ... "and they were only calves", he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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