Owners of dogs that attack in Ruapehu are being told to expect to end up in court.
The warning comes after the Ruapehu District Council adopted a no tolerance stance on dogs that attack or worry people, other dogs and stock.
"Whereas in the past we may have thought twice and hesitated about prosecuting in some instances, this is no longer the case," chief executive Peter Till said. "In particular, council is committed to taking a harder line on recidivist offenders and owners who do not comply with the requirements of menacing or dangerous dog classifications."
The council now had senior staff with the skills and experience to take prosecutions without needing to involve external legal firms, making it a lot cheaper and easier for the council to take court action, Mr Till said.
"To date we have prosecuted four owners, resulting in nine convictions, five dogs destroyed, $1600 in fines and $4400 in costs awarded to council and victims. All four prosecuted owners have also been disqualified from owning dogs or having dogs living in the same house as them."
Mr Till said the provision of video cameras worn by the animal control team was assisting them in dealing with dangerous animal control situations and collecting evidence.
"Unfortunately the owners of dangerous and menacing dogs also tend to be more aggressive and abusive when dealing with animal control officers," he said.