Dog owners in the Whakatāne District are being urged to take their dogs for a walk, rather than leaving them to their own devices.
Whakatāne District Council Manager Community Regulation, Graeme Lewer, says dog owners have a responsibility to exercise their dogs under supervision, so allowing them to leave their property and exercise themselves is often a dangerous approach. “Dogs might be on the doorstep in the morning, but in the meantime, they’ve often been out fighting, mating, attacking stock or helping themselves to the contents of rubbish bins, which all have negative consequences,” he says. “It’s not hard to take your dog for a walk or a run around – it’s simply what comes with being a responsible dog owner.”
Mr Lewer says it’s important that dogs get the exercise they need, but it’s equally important to ensure they’re doing this under supervision and in the appropriate place. “There are a number of dog exercise areas throughout the District where residents can take their dogs off the lead and let them have a run around,” he says. “We just ask that dog mess is bagged and disposed of considerately.”
Areas where roaming dogs are a problem will be targeted over the coming weeks, with increased night patrols undertaken by a contracted security firm. Dogs found roaming will be followed home and the owner issued with a warning, or dogs will be impounded. Any subsequent breaches of these warnings will be dealt with through the issuing of infringements to the offending dog owner. “We’d really like to avoid going down that path altogether, and hope that dog owners will just start taking a bit more care,” Mr Lewer says. “However, the rules are ultimately there for the safety of the wider community, and that’s why we’re taking this approach.”
Whakatāne District Council is also reminding dog owners about the need to ensure they are up-to-date with their registrations. “It’s much cheaper in the long run to pay the registration fee than to pay a $300 fine for an unregistered dog,” Mr Lewer says. “We also offer a $15 microchipping service, which is heavily discounted and worth taking advantage of.”
Information on dog registration, responsible ownership and maps of dog exercise areas are all freely available via the links below, or by contacting Council on 07 306 0500.