Government announces increased funding to tackle neglected dogs

Tucked away at the back of Silverdale business park, Auckland Council’s animal shelter is one of three dealing with the region’s growing dog problem.

Inside, the contrast is striking. Small puppies paw hopefully at the gates, eager for pats from visitors who might take them home, while larger dogs bark aggressively from the rear yards where some have been held for up to four years awaiting court decisions over their future.

For some, the wait is short when they are quickly claimed by owners or rehomed. Dogs that are not claimed by their owners are typically held for seven days before being assessed for rehoming. If they cannot be safely rehomed, they are euthanised.

Silverdale is one of Auckland’s three main animal shelters, alongside facilities in Henderson, Manukau and the Pukekohe Adoption and Education Centre. Together, they are dealing with an ever increasing number of dogs entering the system, leaving shelters permanently full.

To address the issue, the SPCA has just received close to $500,000 from Brooke Van Velden’s Lottery Minister’s Discretionary Fund to deliver a targeted 12-month dog desexing programme aimed at reducing roaming dogs, uncontrolled breeding, and community harm across Auckland and Northland. The SPCA will contribute a further $700,000 to bring the total to almost $1.2 million. The programme will run from April 1 to March 31 2027. 

Across the Auckland region, 10,214 dogs were impounded during the year. Only 35 per cent were claimed by their owners, while the euthanasia rate reached 48 per cent, the highest level recorded. Registration remains another major issue. Although it is mandatory, only 88 per cent of Auckland’s dogs are registered, and of the dogs impounded last year, 32 per cent were not registered.

Part of the challenge is uncontrolled reproduction. Silverdale Animal Shelter manager Kelsey Purcel says a single female dog can produce more than 50 puppies over five years, quickly adding to the population if animals are not desexed. 

On the Hibiscus Coast, the picture is slightly different, Purcell says. The Hibiscus and Bays Local Board area accounts for about 9.5 per cent of Auckland’s dog population, with 12,511 registered dogs.

Roaming dogs are not the main issue locally. Instead, complaints tend to centre on dogs being off-leash in areas where they are required to be on a lead, particularly on beaches and reserves, where there are often reports of dogs harassing people, other animals and wildlife, especially nesting birds.

“It’s a privilege to use these spaces to walk our animals,” she says. “If the rules are continually flouted, we could lose them.”

Unvaccinated dogs are also a problem, especially as Canine Parvovirus is active on the Hibiscus Coast and failing to vaccinate against it endangers other dogs.

Purcell says responsible ownership remains essential. Dogs should be vaccinated, desexed and properly trained. 

“Any dog can bite,” she says. “They need to be cared for and trained so they can live safely in the community. Shelters are no place for dogs and it is up to us to care for them better so that we reduce the numbers that end up here.”

She stresses that adoption should be the first option for people looking for a dog, and asks people to check the shelter’s website when considering a pet.

More: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/auckland-council-adoptable-dogs/