Whakatāne District Council has decided to centralise its dog pound services, which has resulted in the closure of the Murupara pound facility.

Manager Community Regulation Graeme Lewer says the centralisation has already been carried out on a trial basis and has proved to be successful. “Our Animal Control Team already monitors and visits the Murupara area on a regular basis,” he says. “The frequency with which we service the area is equal to, if not greater than other parts of our District.”

Mr Lewer says the Murupara pound facility had become problematic to manage on a permanent basis. “We knew the Whakatāne pound had the capacity to also cater for impounded dogs from the Murupara area, so we trialled using the one facility, which has confirmed that we can maintain service levels effectively.

“We want the Murupara community to be aware that the pound is no longer in use, so any stray or nuisance dogs will need to be reported to our Animal Control Team in order to be impounded,” Mr Lewer notes. “The Murupara pound will not be checked or serviced, so it’s important that unwanted or stray dogs are not left at the facility.”

Whakatāne District Council impounds approximately 700 dogs per year and receives around 2,700 dog-related complaints. Most dogs are impounded due to their owners' failure to keep them contained or controlled.