Council has its new pound

Dogs in the Far North District Council's temporary dog shelter at Horeke will be moved to a new permanent facility near Kaikohe by June.

The council will complete the purchase of Melka Kennels, on Ngapuhi Rd, next month, and will upgrade the facility to fully meet national animal codes of welfare requirements.

The council's general manager district services, Dean Myburgh, said the new facility, which was formerly operated as a commercial dog kennel, would open as soon as the upgrades were completed. It would house up to 24 dogs.

The council currently operates a northern animal shelter outside Kaitaia, and established a temporary southern area facility on a leased property at Horeke in early 2018, a location that Dr Myburgh described as having significant limitations for both staff and the public.

"Unlike the temporary facility, this new animal shelter will be open to the public so dog owners can view and identify impounded dogs, and dogs we are offering for adoption can also be viewed," he said.

"This new site also means our animal management team will have a safe and permanent workplace that we can improve and expand as required."

The council, he added, had paid "a market rate" for the property, below the asking price of $680,000. "Discussions with the property owners via their legal representatives were complex, but we arrived at an agreement that both sides are happy with," he said.

The Horeke shelter would now be dismantled, and all equipment that could be re-used would be redeployed to the Melka Kennels or to Kaitaia, where the council planned to build a new shelter. Construction would start once building contracts had been signed.

It had planned to build a new southern area shelter on land purchased at Ngāwhā in 2017, Dr Myburgh saying that property would now be considered for other uses related to growth and development opportunities around Kaikohe.