Rotorua is rehoming more of its impounded dogs but many still end up being euthanised. Photo / 123RF
Rotorua Lakes Council is pleading for residents to make “informed choices” before getting a dog, as it aims to put down fewer animals.
While rehoming statistics were positive and euthanasia rates trending down, the council said it was still “deeply upsetting” for animal control staff to put down impounded puppies.
In the calendar year to August 31, the council euthanised 98 dogs. This was tracking lower than in the past two full financial years - 439 in 2023-24 and 379 in 2024-25.
Council destination development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston saw this decrease as “heartening”, alongside the rehoming of 135 dogs so far in 2025, compared to 80 in 2024 and 26 in 2023.
“That increase reflects the dedication of our animal control team,” he said.
“Sadly, not every dog can be rehomed. In some cases, our team faces the very difficult decision of euthanasia.”
Reasons for this varied, but included behaviour, health issues or legal restrictions.
“This is never taken lightly and is deeply upsetting for our staff.”
A recent report highlighted that Rotorua euthanised about 50% of its impounded dogs, compared to 25% in neighbouring Tauranga.
Gaston said Rotorua’s situation was different from its neighbour’s.
“Many of the dogs we deal with are classified as menacing, meaning they can’t be rehomed,” he said, also citing an increase in surrendered or roaming dogs and those seized for offences, which often require destruction under the Dog Control Act.
Euthanasia rates at other councils in the Bay of Plenty region include 52% in Kawerau and 74% in Ōpōtiki.
Dog owners in Rotorua must abide by the council’s dog policy, including yearly registration and rules around microchipping, kennel licensing and owning multiple dogs.
In the 2024-25 registration period, which ended on June 30, the council received registrations for 10,726 dogs.
With 11,926 known dogs in the district, this amounted to an 89.9% registration rate. Non-registration infringements totalled 771.
Roaming dogs remained an issue. An update to last month’s community and district development committee meeting showed that, in the most recent quarter, 425 of the 607 priority-one incidents – including dog attacks and rushing dogs – involved roaming dogs.
Gaston urged people thinking about dog ownership to “carefully consider the commitment, responsibilities and costs involved” before doing so.
“By making informed choices, we can reduce the number of dogs needing our care and give more animals the chance of a safe and loving home.”
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said it promoted responsible animal ownership.
This included choosing suitable pets, providing food, shelter, healthcare, training, exercise, identification, desexing, end-of-life care and emergency planning, and preventing harm to others and the environment.
“Animals must only be kept as companions when a person has the knowledge, ability, and means to provide them with a good life where they experience positive welfare and their physical, health and behavioural needs are met.”
Mathew Nash is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. He has previously written for SunLive, been a regular contributor to RNZ and was a football reporter in the UK for eight years.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.