“Our dog rules aim to carefully accommodate these needs as well as those of others who also want to use shared outdoor spaces safely and freely.”
Qualified dog walkers will be allowed to walk up to 12 dogs at once, on- or off-leash, as long as they are kept under control.
Other dog owners can walk a maximum of four dogs at once, with two off-leash, as long as they are kept under control.
“We have listened to public feedback and recognise, for example, that commercial dog walking is a growing industry with many walkers regularly using Auckland’s public spaces.”
To walk up to 12 dogs, dog walkers must register with the council and follow the conditions attached to a new registration system.
Bartley said the registration system will allow commercial dog walkers to walk a higher number of dogs, as long as they keep them under control and stick to the conditions.
The limit of how many dogs can be walked at once will come into effect from January 1, 2026.
Changes at regional parks will come into effect from August 1.
On-leash, off-leash and dog-free areas have been updated in Auckland Botanic Gardens and the Hunua Ranges, Long Bay, Mahurangi, Pākiri, Shakespear, Tāpapakanga, Waitawa and Whakanewha regional parks.
Additional work is being done to finalise changes to dog rules at Te Ārai Regional Park.
More than 135,000 dogs were registered in Tāmaki Makaurau by the end of last year, but Bartley said regional parks are also home to native species such as the northern dotterel and critically endangered fairy tern, and “dogs do pose a threat to these birds and their habitats”.
The full list of dog access rules in the council’s Policy on Dogs on the council’s website.
- RNZ
