Dog owner takes plunge to save pets - Stuff

Nelson dog owner Cynthia McConville jumped fully clothed into the Maitai River to save her two purebred staffordshire bull terriers.

The rescue happened at Black Hole yesterday and now she is calling on the Nelson City Council not to encourage dog owners to use the far side at Black Hole because of the steep sides down to the river.

The council's draft dog bylaw will have prohibited areas from December to March at the Maitai River swimming holes including the picnic area and riverbank beside Black Hole - on the true right side of the river only; Dennes Hole and the adjacent picnic area; Sunday Hole and picnic area, and the Maitai Camp Hole and picnic area. The city council is to finalise the bylaw next month.

Ms McConville said she was on the opposite bank from the Black Hole beach and distracted while talking to a woman, when her dogs jumped into the water, where there were sticks.

She said she jumped in to save them because they could not get a foothold to get out of the river as the bank was too steep. She said the water was over her head but she managed to get the dogs out, one by one.

She walks her dogs regularly along the Maitai and has written letters to the editor on the council's proposed dog control policy and bylaw.

"I want the council not to encourage people to use that side of the river," she said.

"There's a difference between people doing what they want and the council actively encouraging people to take their dogs to an area.

"The council should not be shutting down the sides of the river accessible to dogs and owners."

Council parks and facilities manager Paul McArthur said the council did not intend to specifically encourage dog owners to use the true left bank of the Maitai River in the vicinity of Black Hole. Rather, it wanted to keep dogs from the right-hand bank where family use was higher.

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/8195028/Dog-owner-takes-plunge-to-save-pets

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