Animal lovers urge owner responsibility

More than 1400 impounded dogs a year are killed in Northland by local authorities, with nearly half being shot.

But council contractors and a local dog expert say it's a figure that could be dramatically reduced by more responsible dog ownership.

In the 2013/2014 financial year 683 dogs were shot in the Far North, while in Whangarei and Kaipara 587 and 162 dogs respectively have been euthanised by lethal injection in the past year.

Whangarei SPCA inspector and Whangarei Dog Training Association treasurer Francine Shields is not surprised by the numbers, but says many of the deaths could be avoided by encouraging responsible dog ownership through initiatives such as reducing registration fees for those who take their dogs to obedience classes.

"One of the things we do in Northland particularly badly is not acknowledging good dog owners or encouraging good dog ownership," she said.

Environment Northland manager Keith Thompson said that in Whangarei there were around 11,000 dog registrations in the past year, and of the dogs impounded 118 were rehomed and 587 euthanised. In Kaipara there were 5500 registrations, 28 dogs rehomed and 162 euthanised during the same period.

Dogs were put down for reasons such as being unable to find them homes, and if they had attacked other animals or humans.

Mr Thompson believed a lot of the deaths could be prevented through responsible dog ownership. "It's all brought back to people getting puppies and not having them neutered or spayed."

In the Far North the total number of dog registrations for the 2013/2014 financial year was 8924. In that period 1146 dogs were impounded - 189 of which were claimed by their owners, 274 rehomed, and 683 euthanised by shooting.

Far North District Council (FNDC) spokesman Richard Edmondson said, "Dogs that aren't claimed or rehomed are shot by animal control officers who are gun licence-holders and trained in this method of euthanasia.

"Clearly, this is not a job our staff enjoy having to do and we go to great lengths to find homes for dogs that are suitable for rehoming."

The number of dogs shot in the Far North has prompted Kerikeri resident AnneMaree Mills to start a petition calling on the FNDC to euthanise unwanted and dangerous dogs by injection, as in Whangarei and Kaipara.

Mrs Mills' campaign, called Bang Bang You're Dead, had attracted 2415 signatures via the website change.org as of yesterday afternoon.

Mr Edmondson said shooting was used as "it is the most cost-effective method and there hasn't been pressure before to change it".

However, FNDC management had discussed Mrs Mills' petition and staff were to prepare a report outlining costs of both forms of euthanasia, which would go to the regulatory and environment committee, he said.

"We are also trying to reduce the number of dogs we need to euthanise by increasing capacity at our main dog pound in Okaihau, making more use of social media and animal welfare websites and working more closely with animal welfare groups," he added.

Ms Shields said encouraging good dog ownership in the community would also reduce the number of dogs needing to be euthanised.

"[This includes] a commitment to understanding dogs and being prepared to put the training and effort in.

"Dogs need training and leadership, not by dominance, but by working with your animal.

"You need to be the leader of the pack in a kind and caring way, and they need to be socialised with other dogs from a very young age - that's incredibly important," she said.