Queenstown's 'singing dog' to remain muzzled, after attacking other dogs

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Otago News

From reporter Debbie Jamieson:

Happy the singing sheepdog is not as happy as he once was, and neither is his owner.

Kim Turton has been busking on Queenstown’s lake front for 28 years and has been joined by his “best friend” Happy during the last seven years.

However, in March this year, Happy bit another dog and was classified as menacing by the Queenstown Lakes District Council.

Turton appealed but a decision from the council’s hearing panel this week upheld the classification, noting there had been previous dog-on-dog attacks involving Happy in the last two years.

The council had undertaken education and infringement enforcement action previously. The classification was the next appropriate enforcement tool, the decision said.

Turton argued he had not been treated fairly by the council and the sight of the muzzle made people wary of approaching him, which affected his income from busking.

“I used to make a living here, but now I’m struggling,” he said.

“Happy doesn’t like it, of course, but he still loves singing, and he still sings with me.”

Recently, Turton was approached by a man accusing him of being cruel by muzzling Happy.

“He told me to pack up, so I did. I don’t want a complaint,” he said.

Turton objected to many aspects of the council’s case against him, believing it was a personal vendetta by a staff member and that some evidence was misrepresented.

He was now seeking the advice of a lawyer before considering whether to go to the ombudsman or police with his concerns.

He was left feeling that he couldn’t trust anyone, he said.

“Really I just want to finish this. It’s been four months of hell for me.

“Ten times a day people ask me about the muzzle, and it makes me feel stressed and angry once again.”

Turton told the panel he adopted Happy when Happy was three months old, and he had become his best friend, the decision said.

“When [Turton] first got him, [Happy] was a ‘screwed up puppy that came from a car crash’ and he did not respond to professional dog training, but after being neutered, his whole demeanour had changed, and he became a normal dog."

Turton stressed that he always had Happy on a lead, whether it be a normal lead or lead attached to his foot, as he said it was when the latest incident happened.

The panel was concerned that just having Happy on a lead would not mitigate the risk of Happy attacking another dog.

“We consider it apparent that Happy is nervous of other dogs coming into his space in this environment and his reaction is to be aggressive, and this has occurred several times over the years.

“Action has been taken to address this behaviour in the form of education and placement of cones to mark his area, but there continues to be a problem,” the decision said.

The panel acknowledged that Happy had not shown aggression towards people, only dogs.