A dog has mauled a seal pup/kekeno to death at Te Awanga, Hawke's Bay - the second attack in as many months.
The seal pup was dead by the time DOC rangers reached it, about 9am on October 10. The dog and its owner were nowhere to be found.
Adog last month was seen hunting and then mauling a fur seal pup to death at Tangoio, further north. A man saw the pup on his way to Flat Rock at 8am on September 17 about 11am. He saw the attack through his binoculars.
As a result, the dog's owner now faces fines of up to $3000 under the Dog Control Act, and the animal has been impounded at the Hastings District Council's Animal Welfare Centre.
DOC is asking the public to help it protect Hawke's Bay's fur seal population.
DOC's acting operations manager for Hawke's Bay, Kelly Conway, is asking people to take care on and around beaches in the Bay with their dogs.
"New Zealand kekeno are fully protected and it is the dog owners' responsibility to keep their dogs under control," she says.
"DOC recommends keeping dogs on a leash in areas where there are seals present and keeping a safe distance of at least 20m."
The council fully supports DOC's call for people to take responsibility for their dogs.
"Even in an off-leash area an owner has to have control of their dogs at all times," a council spokesman said. "That means that they must return to their owner when called. It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that their dog does not bother or attack any wildlife."
Conway urges people to leave kekeno alone.
"They may look cute and cuddly, [but] seals are wild animals and more often than not they're in need of rest not rescue," she says.
If anyone is concerned about a seal that is in danger, injured or being harassed by people or dogs call the department's emergency hotline on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468). People can remain anonymous if they wish when they call.