21/06/2026
This week, an adolescent puppy was rushed by an off-leash dog in a central Invercargill park. The dog was wearing a muzzle. Now, a muzzle doesn't automatically mean a dog is aggressive. Some dogs wear muzzles because they eat stones or rubbish, are recovering from an injury, or for a whole range of other reasons. Most of the time, a muzzled dog means a responsible owner.
Sadly, that wasn't the case here.
The law is pretty simple: dogs in public places need to be under control at all times. This dog wasn't under control and had no recall. Whatever the excuses offered afterwards, having a dog with no reliable recall off leash in a public park is simply irresponsible.
The only positive from this incident is that the young dog was not injured, although he was frightened. The muzzle probably prevented things from becoming so much worse.
So here's a friendly reminder: if your dog doesn't have a reliable recall, don't let it off leash in public places. A lead is a simple way to help keep all dogs and people safe.
