Pets reportedly killed by roaming dogs in Whakatāne over holiday period

Dora, a long-time companion of the FitzPatrick family, was reportedly mauled to death on Boxing Day.

Three cherished family pets have died over the holiday period after being reportedly killed by roaming dogs in Whakatāne.

The owners of German shepherd Bodhi found him down a riverbank after the dog was reportedly mauled to death just before Christmas.

Tabby cat Dora died after being found injured on her owner’s property on Boxing Day, while in a separate incident, another cat was killed on January 4 by two dogs in Churchill St.

A petition has been started to ask Whakatāne District Council to step up its dog control activity.

However, the council says staff worked through the holiday period and social media can impede their efforts.

Reports of roaming dogs and pets killed have been posted on the Whakatāne Community Facebook page, including criticisms of the council.

German shepherd Bodhi was reportedly mauled to death just before Christmas.

Page administrator Chris Graham, a German shepherd owner and friend of Bodhi’s owner, said the beloved dog had been gentle with no bad traits. Bodhi’s owner declined to comment but was happy for his friend to discuss the death.

Bodhi had a well-fenced section, but the owner thought he got out as people came and went in the lead-up to Christmas, Graham said.

The entire family and friends were out searching for him until midnight.

On Christmas Eve, the family were “advised” to look down on the riverbank and were devastated to find Bodhi had died after being mauled by dogs, Graham said.

“This wasn’t just the loss of a pet; it was the loss of a cherished family member, a loyal companion,” he said.

“Bodhi brought joy and love into his family’s lives every day.”

Graham said the threat posed by roaming dogs was a growing concern in Whakatāne.

Chris Graham and his dog, Ranger, helped with the search for Bodhi. Photo / Troy Baker

“I’ve been in situations where I have walked past a house and a dog has rushed at me. If I had been a child, I hate to think what would have happened.”

Graham said the council needed stricter enforcement of animal control laws and to invest in public awareness campaigns on responsible dog ownership.

At least two cats were also reportedly killed by roaming dogs over the holiday period.

In Douglas St, on Boxing Day, tabby cat Dora was killed by dogs on her owner’s property.

Owner Sarah FitzPatrick said Dora was an older cat and it was heartbreaking that she had come to such a violent end.

She said she found the cat in a horrific state and she had died shortly after arriving at the vet.

FitzPatrick said the family had been overwhelmed by the kind comments they had received after posting about the incident on Facebook.

However, many criticisms were directed toward Whakatāne District Council on the page, which she didn’t feel were justified.

“I think they do a really good job. On one occasion when our dog was picked up, having escaped our section, they were great.”

She said she had reported the dog attack to council and they would be dealing with it once staff returned this week.

Whakatāne District Council impounded over 500 roaming dogs in its last financial year.

Council communications manager Alexandra Pickles said animal control staff worked through the holiday.

Posts on social media did not make the job any easier, she said.

“While social media has its place, it can also impede and hinder investigations if the wrong information is being circulated.

“Facebook commentary on community notice pages doesn’t carry the same weight in the legal system,” Pickles said.

She said people should phone the council’s 24/7 contact centre on 07 306 0500.

Pickles said the animal control team was small and covered a large geographical area.

“They work incredibly hard, and incidents are dealt with as quickly as possible.

“To say there’s no shortage of work is an understatement. Responsible dog ownership is key, and we thank the many responsible dog owners in our district.”

The council’s latest annual report on dog control, covering the year to June 2023, stated it had impounded 519 roaming or trespassing dogs. This did not include the more than 200 dogs impounded due to their owners’ failure to pay fees.

The council employed the equivalent of four full-time animal control staff.

An after-hours contractor was employed for any aggressive dogs, secure dog collections and roaming stock. It also ran education programmes in schools.

“Roaming dogs are the number one problem – staff handle more complaints for this than for any other.

“If staff are unable to catch the culprit, the dog is followed home, the owner spoken to and made aware of the requirements regarding responsible dog ownership.

“If a dog is seen out roaming a second time, an infringement notice is issued,” the report said.

Members of the public have an opportunity over the coming months to make submissions to the council’s Long Term Plan 2024-34 if they want additional council funding to be spent on dog control.

Meanwhile, a petition has been started on change.org, called Urge Whakatāne Council to Implement Stricter Dog Control Measures.

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