Rotorua council asked to lift ban on dogs in CBD

David Barrowman has been a vet for about 35 years. Photo / Laura Smith

A Rotorua vet has made his case for why he believes dogs should be allowed on leads in the CBD.

David Barrowman has been a vet for about 35 years and spoke to Rotorua Lakes Council’s dog control bylaw and policy hearing on Wednesday.

Barrowman said he was there to “champion the good dogs and the good people”.

“Dogs are a member of the family, over 70% of people regard that as true.”

Current rules, however, restricted full-family outings as dogs are banned in the centre city.

The ban was introduced in the late 1980s in response to complaints about aggressive dogs and dog faeces being left in the streets.

It covers all of Tūtānekai, Hinemaru, Amohia, Whakaue, Pūkākī, Arawa, and Haupapa Sts and some of Pukuatua, Hinemoa, Eruera and Amohau Sts.

“When I go to the CBD, when I go to the Government Gardens, when I go to the waterfront, I want to take my family,” Barrowman told the hearing.

That included his “very nice dog”.

As a vet, he said he saw a “large number” of dog attacks a year. But he could not recall an instance where the dogs involved were on leads.

Barrowman did not believe lifting the ban would result in “bad dogs” in the CBD.

He said locals and tourists wanted to take their dogs out more and he believed cafe owners wanted it too.

“The places where you can take them in New Zealand, you just don’t see problems.”

Rotorua's lakefront boardwalk, with walkers and cyclists - but no dogs. Photo / Laura Smith

He said the bylaw could be simple: if your dog is out and about, it’s on a lead.

His view was that an off-lead dog was not under control.

The council’s dog control bylaw and policy review did not propose a change to allow dogs into the CBD.

Its consultation website stated it was important to have the discussion when considering the overall inner city plan, which would start in four years.

“There has also been a continuing decline in the general compliance from dog owners.

“This includes low rates of annual registrations and an increase in the number of incidents involving roaming or uncontrolled dogs. The safety of the community is a key priority, holding off on the discussion to allow dogs in the CBD for the time being allows council and the community to work together to improve compliance in relation to dog control.”

Mike Mcvicker lives near the Rotorua lakefront. Photo / Laura Smith

Mike Mcvicker lives near the lakefront, and submitted that the council should not wait to consider removing the ban. Mcvicker said the reasoning of declining dog registrations was “irrational”.

Mcvicker said it was frustrating the ban was in place, particularly, he said the council told him early last year the public would be consulted on potentially lifting it.

“We’re still waiting.”

He also viewed leads as essential. He understood lifting the ban was last raised 12 years ago.

Building a bank of doggy DNA

The bylaw and policy review proposed changes including building a dog DNA database to identify dogs during investigations and to enforce desexing where the council has a record of the dog being out of control within the previous year.

The purpose was to give council staff more tools to keep people and animals safe from dangerous or menacing dogs, and to help rule enforcement.

Rotorua dog walker Holly Wright believed a DNA database would mean less chance of a dog being accused of something it did not do. It would make it easier to prosecute, she said.

“There’s a lot of roaming dogs that look the same.”

Wright said addressing roaming dogs was essential. A DNA database would help with this as would desexing – which also addressed overpopulation.

“Uncontrolled dogs can become aggressive, especially when roaming.”

Dog owner Lexia Tauarua did not support DNA databanking or the desexing.

“In the end, it is going to be a cost to good dog owners.”

She did not believe “bad dog owners” would pay up, and it would be paid for by the good owners.

Tauarua was concerned it would drive already-rising registration costs higher.

The consultation website stated there was a relatively small cost to obtain and process DNA profiles and the intention was to recover costs through impound fees, not the wider community.

Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express, and has been a journalist since 2019.

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