Waikato District Council excludes controversial permits from dog bylaw

Waikato District Council listened to dog owners' feedback on the proposed changes and scrapped the idea of permits for three or more dogs on rural properties. Photo / Mike Scott

Waikato District Council has adopted its new Dog Control Bylaw - without the controversial permit for more than three dogs on rural properties - after listening to feedback from dog owners.

The council consulted on the bylaw last December with many dog owners outraged about the proposed changes that were fuelled by 58 complaints and 156 dogs being found in poor conditions over five years.

Animal Control team leader Tracey Oakes says the council removed the proposed permit from the bylaw after receiving submissions from "an overwhelming number of people" who did not support this.

"Our intention was to consider a different way to address some of the welfare issues we have seen over the past five years, but we acknowledge that a permit was not the best approach. Our sentiment was good - but we got it wrong. We know that the majority of people in our district are good dog owners and we do not want to make it harder for them."

On the bylaw, the council received 666 submissions and 71 submitters spoke at or were represented at council hearings at the end of February.

In December, concerned residents had formed a Facebook group in response to the council's proposals, called WDC Dog control policy and bylaw review: concerns and submission ideas which quickly gained a membership of 885 people.

One member of the Facebook group is Te Kowhai resident and dog owner Kayla Cox, who is very pleased with the outcome. She says the attention the topic received on Facebook contributed to that.

"We are thrilled about the outcome [and] ... surprised with how well council responded to our feedback. The permits were the biggest issue for us so we are very happy this has now been resolved ... We didn't expect an outcome like this."

Other new aspects of the bylaw include changes to some of the existing off-leash dog exercise areas and prohibiting dogs in areas like skateparks.

The bylaw outlines the council's regulations and management plan for dog ownership and recreational dog activity in the Waikato district. Photo / Andrew Warner

Tuakau's Alexandra Redoubt Reserve will stay an off-leash dog exercise area, but Ngāruawāhia's Lower Waikato Esplanade, the Tamahere part of the Te Awa Walkway, Raglan beach from Opotoru inlet to Aerodrome Bridge and Taupiri's Bob Byrne Park will be made on-leash.

This is because the parks were in busy locations that were either unsafe for the public to have dogs off-leash or unsafe for dogs due to erosion or busy roads. However, the council is looking into fencing off the northern part of the Taupiri reserve to use as an off-leash area.

Cox says she was happy with the council's efforts in terms of dog exercise areas.:"The council has been very co-operative ... We said it's fine if [they] want to take away some of the off-leash areas, but then we need alternatives.

"We just had a community meeting last night and the council seemed genuine in their intentions. We had very constructive talks about it [and] I'm confident they are going to work on it."

However, she says the changes won't happen overnight.

"Land [for a dog park] can be expensive and is hard to get at the moment. But we are looking, with help from the public, for land that we can suggest to the council as a possible dog park."

In the meantime, the council voted to make a new dog exercise area in Tamahere Park and to allow for Tuakau's Whangarata Reserve to be used until it is required as a cemetery in 2025.

Waikato District Council reviewed its Dog Control Bylaw and Policy. Photo / Alex Burton

According to the new bylaw, dogs will now be prohibited on the sports fields at Whatawhata Recreation Reserve and Te Kowhai Recreation Reserve due to the increase in dog faeces and urine on the playing fields.

Instead, they can be exercised on-lead on the periphery of the sports field within the reserve.

Dogs will still be prohibited at skateparks and on playgrounds, but they will be allowed within 10m of a playground.

Dogs are also now allowed on-lead in the central business area of Ngāruawāhia.

The council also removed the existing rule prohibiting dogs in cemeteries from the Dog Control Bylaw 2022 and will review it as part of the Cemeteries Bylaw 2016.

The newly adopted bylaw, which currently affects about 15,000 dogs in the Waikato district, will be reviewed within five years.