Roughly 40 per cent of the animals that walk into the Rotorua pound don't walk back out.
Figures released to the Rotorua Daily Post under a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act reveal how many animals have been put down in 2016, 2017 and in the 2018 year to August 31.
In 2016, 2161 dogs were impounded and of those, 55.5 per cent, or 1199, were collected by their owner and 834 (38.6 per cent) were destroyed.
Of the 1901 impounded in 2017, 768 (40.4 per cent) were destroyed and 1038 were collected by their owners.
In 2018 there were 1183 dogs impounded. Of those, 598 were collected by an owner and 480 (40.5 per cent) were destroyed.
Statistics from Rotorua Lakes Council show outcome for dogs impounded in 2016, 2017 and 2018 to August 31.
The majority of the remaining animals were rehomed.
The figures come after a community outcry earlier this year when the council put down a five-week old puppy, despite offers to rehome it.
The council said this was because the puppy fell under the Menacing Dog Classification under schedule 4 of the Dog Control Act 1996. Such dogs are not rehomed because of the risk they pose to the community.
Animal lover Elaine Mander said the statistics were "heartbreaking".
"There needs to be proactive change towards providing responsible owners.
"There are dogs more inclined to have that [violent] tendency but the primary reason dogs become menacing is how they are treated."
Mander said when she first rescued one of her dogs it was fearful and aggressive but that changed in time.
Elaine Mander with dogs Mushka (left) and Citron. Photo / Stephen Parker
"Has her breed changed? No, it's the treatment she's received."
Mander suggested the focus needed to be on positive outcomes for dogs, not control of them. She suggested minimum ownership welfare laws.
The pound is operated by Rotorua Lakes Council.
The council's manager of community and regulatory services, Neven Hill, said the council had a strict dog control policy to make sure people were responsible dog owners.
Hill said once an animal was in council's care the animal control team determined what action to take.
If a dog's owner can be identified they are reunited, if the owner is unknown the dog is taken to the pound or vet.
"Once impounded it is council's obligation to provide care for that dog for a minimum of seven days regardless of what the expected outcome might be, and regardless of cost."
To see if they are suitable for rehoming, impounded dogs are assessed on behavioural and physical traits such as aggression, menace, tendency to roam and health, Hill said.
"If a dog is suitable for rehoming, a collaborative effort is made to find it a home."
Hill said the council worked with rescue organisations, vets and used online channels to find a home.
"It has always been our aim to rehome dogs when it is appropriate and safe for the community."
If a dog falls into the Menacing Dog Classification under the Dog Control Act 1996 it will not be rehomed "because of the risk it poses to the community".
"The pound often operates at 90 per cent capacity and more pens will mean we can take a more proactive approach to our work, rather than being restricted to the facility's capacity.
"More pens also provide the opportunity to hold dogs for longer than seven days if they are suitable for rehoming."
