According to the national dog database, the number of dogs registered in New Zealand as of this week is just shy of 490,000, down from about 574,000 in 2020.
The 2024 Companion Animals New Zealand pet data report put the number of companion dogs at 830,000, down from 851,000 in 2020.
No doubt the cost of living had a paw in that trend – many families cannot afford another mouth to feed.
The report suggested about 31% of Kiwi households include a pet pooch, down from 34%. Aucklanders were less likely to have a dog than people in other regions.
Yet, in our biggest city, some dog issues are hitting unprecedented highs, even as the registered dog population declines.
Auckland Council’s animal management report for the year to June 30 reported a record 1341 dog attacks on people and 1253 attacks on other animals.
There were more than 16,700 roaming reports.
The city’s shelters were said to be “permanently full”, particularly with unregistered dogs too badly behaved to be adopted out.
Add an impoundment rate that tripled in three years, plummeting collection rates for impounded dogs, and less availability from rescue groups, and you get another grim statistic: A record 60% euthanasia rate. More than 6000 dogs were put down.
The council said there was a clear link between low numbers of roaming dogs being desexed and high numbers of unwanted puppies flooding shelters.
It is calling on the Government to change the law to allow councils to desex an impounded dog before it is returned to its owner.
Of course this should happen, particularly for repeat offenders. Voluntary desexing campaigns offering big discounts clearly aren’t a good enough carrot, and fines aren’t a good enough stick.
Dog owners irresponsible enough to allow their pet to roam the streets, even after being warned, should lose the right to breed their dog or keep it intact for other purposes.
They should count themselves lucky to get their dogs back at all.
Good dog owners all over the country see their registration fees rise every year to help cover dog control services.
Councils make ever-more complicated maps limiting the public spaces people can take their dogs – a farce when the greater problem is roaming dogs that go where they like.
It’s time to give councils some teeth to deal with the bad dog owners making these problems worse.
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