More dogs, but fewer complaints
More dogs are calling Waipā home but complaints to the Council about canine companions are falling.
During the 2019-20 financial year the total number of Waipā dogs increased by 153 to 8,714, consistent with population growth. But while there were more than 1,700 complaints about dogs, that was down 400 from the previous year.
Compliance manager Karl Tutty said the most common complaints – wandering dogs and barking dogs – had dropped, as had complaints about aggressive or rushing dogs.
“We think the Covid-19 lockdown played a role because people were at home with their pets, keeping an eye on them and giving them some attention. And when people are home with their animals, dogs tend not to bark or wander,” he said.
“Most owners are completely unaware there is a barking issue until a neighbour complains, sometimes directy and sometimes via us. Once owners are aware, most barking complaints are resolved swiftly.”
During the year there were fewer aggression complaints or dog attacks reported with 168 complaints, down from 186. Council issued 88 infringement notices, including 46 to people who hadn’t registered their dog and 15 for failing to control a dog.
The number of dogs impounded dropped from 464 the previous year to 291 in 2019-20. Of those, 234 dogs were claimed, 23 were rehomed and 27 were euthanased. Of all known dogs in the district, only five were classified as dangerous (down from eight) with 126 classified as menacing (up from 118).
Menacing dogs are classified based on their breed, not necessarily because of their behaviour, but must be neutered. Dangerous dogs must be fenced in, neutered, kept on a leash and muzzled in public.
The Council continued to focus strongly on micro-chipping during the year. By law all dogs being registered for the first time, with the exemption of herding dogs, must be chipped within two months of registration.
Dog registration was also a key area of focus with a re-registration rate of more than 98 per cent across the district. Dog registration fees help cover the cost of animal control activities.
Waipā’s animal control officers continued their work in the community, attending puppy pre-school classes and initiating events in local dog parks to help educate people on dogs and dog ownership. Planned events were cut short by Covid-19 but there are plans to kick them off again for summer.
“Dog incidents can often occur when owners fail to adequately supervise and manage their dogs in public places. So educating owners about dog park etiquette and dog behaviour generally is important and can help avoid issues down the track,” Tutty said.