Revealed: Number of dog attacks on people, domestic animals in Tauranga

A veterinarian says dog aggression is a "highly complex" issue as the number of times a person and pet were attacked in Tauranga over the past five years can be revealed.

The data also showed Tauranga Central was a hotbed for dog-related incidents.

Attacks on people are down over the past two years but attacks on domestic animals have remained steady over the five-year period.

But a spokeswoman for the New Zealand Veterinary Association says the number of reported attacks would be different from the true number and several factors contributed to dog aggression.

The data was from 2017 to 2021 and provided under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act by Tauranga City Council.

There were 310 people attacked by dogs and 562 attacks on domestic animals over the timeframe.

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The highest number of attacks on people happened in 2018 and 2019 when there were 70 each. Last year there were 55 attacks.

In 2020, the year attacks on people were at their lowest (49), the number of attacks on other domestic animals was the highest at 130.

The council provided the total number of types of dog-related incidents. The 23,445 incidents included, but were not limited to, person attacked, domestic animal attacked, person rushed at, animal rushed at, witness to attack, and aggressive dog.

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Most incidents were recorded in Tauranga Central, followed by Mount Maunganui/Pāpāmoa, Tauranga North, Tauranga East/South and 2339 were not assigned.

Over the year between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, 469 dogs were impounded in Tauranga and 67 were euthanised. The others were either released to their owner or adopted, according to the council's policy and practices in relation to the control of dogs document.

Impounded dogs included those roaming, captured and trapped.

Tauranga City Council animal services team leader Brent Lincoln thought there were "likely a number of factors" that contributed to the general downward trend in attacks on people but education, compliance and social media stood out.

"In this period council has increased their presence in schools and workplaces in an endeavour to teach people how to avoid being the victim of an attack.

"These programmes, together with an increased emphasis on promoting dog ownership responsibility, have contributed to the reduced incidents where dogs have attacked."

Lincoln said every complaint it receives is investigated.

The president of the companion animal veterinarian branch of the New Zealand Veterinary Association, Dr Natalie Lloyd, said dog aggression was "highly complex" and several factors contributed to why one may attack. Some factors were:

• Hereditary;
• Early rearing experience;
• Inadequate socialisation and training;
• The dog's physical health;
• The owner's attitudes, experience and reasons for owning a dog;
• And the situations surrounding each attack, including the victim's behaviour.

The president of the companion animal veterinarian branch of the New Zealand Veterinary Association, Dr Natalie Lloyd.

"What we can say with confidence is that we understand that dogs are an integral part of our society and that there are many positive benefits to dog ownership," Lloyd said.

"The issue of dog aggression, and how it affects society, highlights that the well-being of animals, humans and the environment is inseparable.

Dog aggression is responsible for a significant public health burden in New Zealand.

"Any solution to reduce dog aggression will require a comprehensive plan delivered across multiple agencies that work together to address each factor."

As of June 30, 2021, only 1.6 per cent of all known dogs (14,736) in Tauranga were registered as aggressive.

In Tauranga, dogs can be classified as dangerous if:

• The owner is convicted of an offence under the Dog Control Act 1996;
• The dog has acted aggressively and constitutes a threat to any person, stock, poultry, domestic animal or protected wildlife;
• The owner admits in writing the dog constitutes a threat to any person, stock, poultry, domestic animal or protected wildlife.

A dangerous dog classification lasts for life.

Menacing dogs are certain types that have reputations of being more likely to attack people than most other breeds.

Dogs wholly or predominantly of the following breeds are classed as menacing:

• American Pit Bull Terrier;
• Brazilian Fila;
• Dogo Argentino;
• Japanese Tosa;
• Presa Canario.

The council said it may also classify any dog as menacing if it considers the dog to pose a threat to any person, stock, poultry, domestic animals or protected wildlife.