New Zealand Acts

DOG CONTROL ACT 1996 - SECT 58

58 Dogs causing serious injury

The owner of any dog that attacks any person or any protected wildlife and causes—

a) serious injury to any person; or

b) the death of any protected wildlife; or

c) such injury to any protected wildlife that it becomes necessary to destroy the animal to terminate its suffering,—

commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $20,000, or both, and the court shall, on convicting the owner, make an order for the destruction of the dog unless satisfied that the circumstances of the attack were exceptional and do not justify destruction.

History: Section 58: amended, on 1 December 2003, by section 37 of the Dog Control Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 119).