New Hastings pound policy hailed

The percentage of impounded dogs being returned to their owners has increased from a year ago. Photo / Warren Buckland

The number of stray dogs being killed at Hastings' pound has dropped significantly since the council relaxed a contentious hard-line policy on animal control in the district.

In the three months to the end of February, 32 dogs were euthanased at the pound, compared with 99 put to sleep during the corresponding period a year earlier.

The new regime - introduced after an independent report recommended sweeping changes to the Hastings District Council's dog control policies - has also seen a large drop in the number of animals impounded and an increase in the number of unclaimed dogs being adopted by new owners.

Animal control officers impounded 206 dogs between December and February, down from 295 for the corresponding quarter a year earlier. Thirty dogs were adopted out over the same period, up from 19.

The percentage of impounded dogs being returned to their owners had also increased from a year ago.

At a council meeting yesterday pound manager John Payne told councillors that closer relationships now in place with the SPCA and animal adoption agencies meant only two dogs considered suitable for rehoming had needed to be put down over the past three months because there was nowhere for them to go.

All the other euthanised animals were put down because they were considered unsuitable for adoption.

Mr Payne, a long-time animal control officer and former Tauranga City Council regulatory manager, was engaged to independently review Hastings' animal control service last year and was then appointed to a one-year "change management" position to implement the recommendations from his report.

He told councillors yesterday that initial changes at the pound, and the way dog control officers were carrying out their work, had met with positive, unsolicited feedback from the public.

One reason for fewer dogs being impounded was a change in policy to issue infringement notices to the owners of unregistered dogs, rather than seizing the animals, "which is much more palatable for the community", Mr Payne said.

The council yesterday approved plans to fast-track a $400,000 upgrade of the pound, which had been budgeted for the 2015-16 financial year.

The council had previously approved $165,000 to be spent during the current financial year on temporary upgrades but accepted a staff recommendation that bringing forward the more expensive loan-funded upgrade of the facility would prove more cost-effective in the long term.

Dog welfare advocate Jessica Maxwell said the drop in the number of dogs being euthanased at the pound was welcome news and it was acceptedthere would always be some aggressive animals that couldn't be rehomed.

"John Payne is bringing a long overdue change in culture at the pound with the emphasis now focused on animal welfare and that is to be welcomed," she said.