Call for tougher dog laws as attacks and euthanasia rates climb, rescuers overwhelmed

Auckland Council is pushing for stronger powers under the Dog Control Act 1996 to address the growing number of roaming and uncontrolled dogs.

Despite this, frontline rescuers and local leaders say the crisis requires immediate on-the-ground action.

Jo Coulam, a volunteer at the Saving Hope Foundation, says rescue groups are overwhelmed and feel abandoned.

Coulam criticises the council’s desexing pilot for not targeting the right communities and highlights that rescue groups are carrying too much of the burden.

Saving Hope has rehomed 637 dogs and puppies in the past month, with 46 requests received in one day.

“We spoke in May about the Kāinga Ora houses and now, as we predicted, we have newborn puppies dumped on train tracks and in rubbish bins,” she says.

“Rescues like ours are left to do the hard work while trying to educate owners, but we can’t do it alone. By 1pm that day, we’d already had 32 more, including a mum and a litter of newborn pups. It’s out of control.”

South Auckland families at risk, MP warns

Manurewa MP Arena Williams says the situation has worsened over the past two years, affecting families and elderly residents, particularly in South Auckland.

“This is why I’ve been calling on the Mayor and Councillor Josephine Bartley to pull together a taskforce. Central and local government need to work together for Aucklanders,” she says.

Frontline officers are stretched thin as Auckland Council faces record numbers of roaming dog reports. Photo/file.

“Roaming dogs have got out of control in the last two years in Manurewa. Our kids and elderly people are at risk. Dog attacks are up, and we’re now seeing roaming packs of unowned dogs.

“Manurewa needs new solutions to deal with this rapidly escalating issue. National has spent a lot of time telling councils what to cut. This is an opportunity for ministers to do something constructive and actually help Auckland with something that will genuinely benefit people in Manurewa and other communities affected.”

Council defends response, calls for law reform

Elly Waitoa, Animal Management Manager for Auckland Council, says public safety is the council's top priority and that dog owners must take responsibility for their pets.

Children cross the street on their way to school - safety concerns are rising as roaming dog incidents increase. Photo/file.

Waitoa says that while desexing dogs is not the council’s responsibility, they are stepping in because of the gravity of the situation.

She says the council is seeking stronger enforcement powers through legislative reform, which could involve establishing conditions such as requiring fencing upgrades before a dog is released, mandating desexing in certain cases, and introducing mandatory reporting of serious dog attacks to enable timely intervention.

“We’re calling for more tools, like mandatory fencing standards and hospital reporting of dog attacks. It’s about giving councils real options when education alone doesn’t work.”

Dog attack and roaming stats paint grim picture

The past year, the council received 16,739 reports of roaming dogs, 1341 reports of dog attacks on people, and 1523 reports of attacks on other animals. Only 42 per cent of dogs were reclaimed by their owners, and more than 6000 were euthanised, over half of all dogs impounded.

ACC claims data indicate that the actual number of dog attacks is likely higher, as many serious attacks involving children happen in family homes and go unreported to the council, Robert Irvin, the General Manager, says.

“Introducing mandatory hospital reporting would allow us to intervene and put measures in place to prevent attacks from happening again,” he says.

Proposed changes to the Dog Control Act

To help reduce attacks and improve enforcement, Auckland Council is asking the Government to grant it the following powers:

• Mandate desexing policies

• Require desexing before releasing dogs from shelters

• Shorten the shelter holding period from seven to five days

• Detain dogs deemed dangerous after an attack

• Increase fines for obstructing officers or breaching orders

• Establish localised infringement schedules

• Require hospitals to report serious dog attacks

“These changes make good common sense and would greatly improve our ability to protect Aucklanders from dog-related harm,” Irvine says. “They would not affect the majority of dog owners, who we know are responsible.”

Uncontrolled roaming dogs are at the centre of Auckland Council’s push for stronger dog control laws. Photo/file.

More regional support needed - councillors

Chair of the Regulatory and Safety Committee, Councillor Josephine Bartley, says most dog owners are responsible, but stricter rules are now necessary.

“There is a group that just doesn’t seem to care. Their actions are putting our communities at risk, particularly our tamariki, so having stricter rules around things like fencing and desexing has become necessary.”

Manurewa-Papakura Councillor Daniel Newman says local board budgets are insufficient to address the scale of the problem.

“I don’t want to have to be looking around at local boards trying to fund desexing vouchers and what have you,” he says. “This has to be a regional response to a region-wide problem.”

Auckland Council urges overhaul of national dog laws. Photo/DIA

SPCA backs action but says national investment needed

SPCA National Community Outreach Manager Rebecca Dobson says the Council-SPCA pilot only began in June and is too early to judge.

“Since 2022, SPCA has desexed 1294 dogs in Auckland. That’s part of a national programme that’s seen 55000 animals desexed and more than 200000 unwanted litters prevented.”

She says meaningful progress requires a significantly larger investment, estimated at more than $75 million.

“Rescue groups, SPCA, councils, vets and communities are all grappling with the fallout of people not desexing their pets. None of us can fix this alone. Desexing needs to become a priority for all pet owners.”

A regional response is needed to tackle the city’s escalating dog crisis. Photo/file.

Dobson also notes that enforcement is the Council’s role, not the SPCA’s.

“The public should contact their local council when it comes to roaming dogs, dog attacks or public safety issues. SPCA works under the Animal Welfare Act, focused on cruelty prevention.”

Council commits to further action

The Council has committed $5.9 million to increase patrols and community education and says further funding proposals are being prepared for next year’s annual plan.

The message to dog owners is clear: keep your dogs secure, desexed and under control.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.