Whanganui District Council impounded 682 dogs during 2020. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui District Council impounded 682 dogs during 2020. Photo / Bevan Conley
More than 60 dogs across the Whanganui District were euthanised during 2020, according to newly-released statistics from the Whanganui District Council.
The figure, which represents almost 10 per cent of all dogs impounded by the council, was one of a raft of numbers relating to Whanganui's dog control programme, releasedto the Chronicle under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act this week.
The 66 dogs euthanised were a wide range of breeds, with pitbulls topping the list as the most euthanised breed of dog, sitting at 22 over the calendar year.
American bulldogs closely followed with 14 destructions, while labradors and bull terriers sat in third equal with five euthanisations each.
Other dogs euthanised included heading dogs, mastiffs and rottweilers as well as one dalmatian.
A council spokesperson said dogs are euthanised for a variety of reasons.
Dogs that remain unclaimed for more than seven days and are unable to be rehomed are often euthanised, while dogs are occasionally voluntarily handed over by owners to be euthanised or surrendered after attacking a human or other animal, the spokesperson said.
The facility also euthanised some dogs if they had attacked or presented an unacceptable risk to animal control staff.
The figures also showed that during 2020, the council impounded 682 dogs, equivalent to almost two for every day of the year.
Whanganui District Council's administrative assistant for compliance Mareva Crowley and animal control officer Jason Shailer outside the new pound in December. Photo / Bevan Conley
Of those dogs, 456 (66 per cent) were subsequently returned to their owner, while 151 were rehomed.
The council also provided information on the scale of the district's dog control programme, which includes the employment of six staff, including three full-time animal control officers.
Over the 2019/20 financial year, the entire animal control operation cost Whanganui ratepayers a total of $679,000, which includes all "direct and indirect" costs.
As well as the general operational cost, ratepayers also forked out $1.26 million for the development and construction of a new dog pound on Airport Rd, which finally opened in December.
The new pound has 47 separate kennels, a significant increase on the previous pound's 32. Also new is a larger puppy kennel, where mothers and their pups can remain together. Each kennel has a water bowl, bed and retractable roof for airflow and sunlight.
There is also a singular separated kennel with its own run, designed for dogs that have been in the pound longer than the rest, to give them a change of scenery and some extra freedom.
As part of the new pound, there is also an educational space where animal control officers can hold seminars and education sessions to help dog owners raise and look after their animals.
