It is high time dogs in towns were placed in the same category as vehicles, guns and pools.

All vehicles must be registered and drivers licenced to drive them. Not only are guns all registered and shooters licenced, but the guns must be kept securely and locked away.

And backyard pools must be properly fenced. Yet people are allowed to own dogs with no thought to their safety, or anyone else's.

If people are too stupid to know that dogs running loose are in constant danger of being run over, and even if they don't attack people or other animals, so many farms these days have baits and traps to try and control foxes and wild dogs.

No doubt all dog owners swear that their precious doggy would never do anything wrong, why do you place your pets in danger of being run over, poisoned, trapped or shot? Are you all too stupid or lazy to care?

Responsible dog owners must fence their backyards, not only to keep their dogs in, but to keep vicious dogs out.

Of course owners of attacking dogs should pay damages, it's the only way in which they can learn that it's better to control their dogs!

And why should farmers have to carry the loss of their stock? Bad enough we have foxes and wild dogs without uncontrollable town dogs. 

And another thing – it costs $30,000 to train a Guide Dog, yet every year a lot of them are injured in attacks from loose dogs. The owners of attack dogs should be charged with animal cruelty, as not only are victims of the attacks killed or injured, but that lack of care shown to the dogs  allowed to run loose is disgraceful.

All town dogs should be desexed, micro-chipped, and kept safely under control.