Two Queenstown dog owners have objected to their dogs being classified as menacing or dangerous by the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
One of the dogs, an American pit bull terrier already classified as menacing on account of its type, attacked a 6-week-old puppy last August.
The other dog, a Border collie, bit an council animal control officer on the fingers last September while being put in a dog control vehicle.
A dog control committee of Crs Lyal Cocks, Mel Gazzard and Ella Lawton considered the objections at a hearing yesterday.
In a report for the committee, council principal enforcement officer Anthony Hall recommended it uphold a dangerous dog classification for the American pit bull terrier, called Maui.
The 4-year-old male dog received the classification after it attacked and bit a 6-week-old puppy in Lake Hayes Estate after escaping from its owner's property on August 9.
Maui had been impounded three times before for roaming, and at the time of the attack was not muzzled as required for menacing dogs.
If a dog is classified as dangerous, it must be neutered, kept in a securely fenced part of its owner's property and controlled on a leash in public places.
Maui's owner, Marcus Hohapata, brought the dog into the council chamber and, with the committee's permission, removed its muzzle.
The dog behaved calmly as it was patted by committee members. He also produced a report by Queenstown dog behaviourist Gary Wulff and three letters of reference to support his objection.
He told the committee he was a builder, and every day took Maui to work, where the dog was ''surrounded by other dogs and people and children''.
''Over the past five years, he hasn't shown aggression to any other dogs or people.''
The second objection considered by the committee related to Border collie Snoop, owned by Natasha McCrostie.
The animal was classified as menacing by the council in September.
Mr Hall said Snoop was seen roaming in Fernhill by two council animal control officers on September 15. While the officers were attempting to put the dog in their vehicle, it bit one of them on the fingers.
Ms McCrostie said Snoop escaped from her Fernhill home after she left the door open.
He was a ''lovely'' dog who had never been caged or tied up, and his aggression was likely to have been caused by anxiety at being put in the vehicle.
The committee's decisions on the owners' objections are expected early next week.
