$165k fix for pound in dog control shake-up

Other improvements will be made to the council's dog services beyond the $165,000 approved yesterday. Photo / Claire Fraser

Hastings District councillors have approved sweeping changes to the local authority's dog control policies and a $165,000 fix-up package to address issues at the city's pound.

The changes follow a hard-hitting independent report which identified a "blame culture" within the council's animal control unit and recommended the shake-up.

The report, released earlier this month, was sparked by complaints from dog owners this year over the actions of dog control officers and the treatment of impounded dogs.

About 200 people turned up to a July meeting to voice anger at the way the council and its officers implemented dog policies.

While councillors were in agreement over their support for the recommendations in the report, some used yesterday's meeting to voice concerns about the findings.

The changes include renaming the unit from "Animal Control Service" to the "Animal Welfare Service".

Consultant Harry O'Rourke, a former chief executive of Waitakere City Council who was brought in to oversee the preparation of the independent review report, said the reason for the name change was to give a clear indication of a change of focus and attitude within the unit.

"It still means dangerous dogs will get sorted out eventually but for the rest of them, it's their welfare we're concerned with."

Acting council chief executive John O'Shaughnessy said the council would appoint a "change manager" to see in the changes, initially for a one-year term, after which the role would be reviewed.

Councillor Simon Nixon said the report was "disgusting" and asked what measures would be put in place to ensure the proposed changes were adhered to.

"The council has come in for a lot of criticism in this report," he said.

"This has been bouncing around the council the whole four years I've been here, this issues of dogs, and we've just pretended it's not an issue.

"I think this report shows we have really failed this part of the community."

Mayor Lawrence Yule said ensuring the changes were adhered to would be the responsibility for the change manager, and was the reason the role was being created.

The council was also setting up a liaison committee of people with an interest, both from within and outside the council.

Other improvements will be made to the council's dog services beyond the $165,000 approved yesterday.

The council had budgeted a further $500,000 in its long-term plan to replace the pound, which was built in about 1970 and is no longer considered fit-for-purpose.