Council approved the Dog Control Annual Report 2023/24 at an Ordinary Council Meeting on 23 July.
The report, which is required under the Dog Control Act 1996, provided an overview of the 2,866 dogs in the district. Impressively, for the third year in a row, the district's registration rate was 100% of known dogs.
Council received 242 dog related requests for the year, which was an increase from the 193 last year. The majority of these were for wandering dogs (150 cases), and the next most common complaint was barking dogs (66).
Of the 33 dogs impounded, 30 were reclaimed by their owners, and three found new homes. The district’s dangerous and menacing dogs are fully compliant with safety requirements.
Additionally, the dog behaviour and safety programme was a success, with "Wolfie," the retired greyhound, continuing to play a vital role in educating the community about dog safety.
The Dog Control Act requires all dogs over three months old to be registered with their local council.
The dog registration programme includes forms, printing, tags, maintaining the national dog database and related promotional activities.
Wider dog control activities include law enforcement, patrols and complaint investigation, providing pound facilities, signage and promotion of the Council’s animal bylaw and dog policy.
The full report is available to view here.
______________________________________________________________________________________
