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Dog owners and walkers could be banned from walking more than six dogs at a time if proposed changes to Auckland Council’s dog policy and management bylaw come into force next year.
The proposed changes also limit the number of dogs that can be off leash at any one time to a maximum of three per walker, in off leash areas. Policy advisor Abigail Tavera said that nationally and internationally it was a common view that four dogs on leash and two off leash was the maximum that one person could safely manage.
Presenting to local boards last month, a council working group shared findings from a review of the policy and bylaw, reporting that dog walkers managing multiple dogs were involved in a disproportionate number of incidents such as aggressive behaviour and wildlife chasing.
Ben Spick, from the recently formed Professional Dog Walkers Association, said that the proposals were premature and not backed by data.
“Council’s evidence was that just 0.7 per cent of complaints relate to multiple dog walkers,” Spick said. “The largest issue was roaming dogs, which account for 35 per cent of complaints, and that’s a 50 per cent increase on what it was a year ago.”
Reaction to the proposed changes was also divisive. Hibiscus and Bays local board chair Alexis Poppelbaum highlighted the need for substantive evidence of the problem and a clear rationale that proposed limits would address the issue.
The board voted not to support the proposed changes, citing insufficient evidence. Members were concerned whether incidents with multiple dogs on walks causing issues were over-represented given that more serious issues were more likely to be reported over minor incidents.
Spick agreed, “The key issue is not people walking multiple dogs, it’s roaming dogs – or people who don’t care about their dogs, not the people who are sending their dogs out with trained professional walkers.”
The board has also asked the working group to explore the merits of commercial dog licences, as required by Wellington City Council. Board member Victoria Short said the business impact for professional dog walkers, who walk well-behaved large packs, needed to be considered.
A key request from the board was for greater investment in the enforcement of the dog management bylaw and policy. Board member Gregg Walden raised the issue of compliance pointing to the risk of adding rules without adding enforcement staff.
Spick said it wasn’t that the rules weren’t in place, it was that they weren’t being enforced. “The key issue is that when complaints are laid, council staff can’t respond. There are not enough council staff in the right places to manage this issue.”
Council’s senior advisory panel also challenged the compliance enforcement gaps. Principal policy advisor Kylie Hill said that animal management had a graduated approach when responding to call outs.
“Roaming dogs is the number one priority and so if there’s a roaming dog incident that’s where their resource goes,” Hill said.
The recently released council Animal Management Annual Report showed animal management staff responded to nearly 40,000 requests for service in the last financial year – the highest number to date, and a 13 per cent increase on the previous year.
Council animal management manager Elly Waitoa said it was clear many people were struggling to look after their dogs properly.
“Our plea to Aucklanders is that if you are thinking of getting a dog, please carefully consider whether you are ready for this responsibility. A dog can be a wonderful companion, but love alone is not enough to keep a dog happy, healthy and out of trouble.
“What we have seen over the past year is that fewer Aucklanders are getting their dogs desexed or registered, they’re not socialising them properly and not keeping them contained to their properties. As a result, we’re seeing higher numbers of aggressive dogs out roaming the streets and putting the public, other animals and themselves at risk.”
To help promote the adoption of unclaimed dogs and ease capacity pressure on the three current shelters, work to open an additional shelter in early next year is underway.
Local board views and the proposed changes will be presented to Council’s regulatory and safety committee on December 3, before going out for public consultation early next year.
