Complaints about dogs up every year

Jimbo is in limbo at the South Waikato Distict dog pound in Tokoroa due to a dispute with owner Carolyn King who is fighting for him not to be put down. 11 October 2012 New Zealand Herald Photograph b

Complaints over dogs in Masterton continue to rise year-on-year despite the number of registered dogs having fallen to its lowest point for at least four years.

An animal control report to Masterton District Council covering the financial year ending June 30 shows rangers dealt with 1595 complaints, the vast majority involving dogs.

This was up from 1497 the previous year which had seen a huge jump from 1123 in 2011/12.

Registered dogs totalled 5368, a fall of 455 on the previous year.

While complaints were well up last year there had likewise been a drop of about eight per cent in what is known as Priority One calls, which covers dog attacks, police assistance and rushing complaints.

Nevertheless there were 17 reports of attacks on people, 29 on domestic animals,12 on stock, six on poultry and one on protected wildlife.

Rangers had to deal with 244 cases of roaming animals, 439 of wandering or stray dogs, 192 complaints of barking dogs and 313 reports of lost animals.

Seven dogs were classified as dangerous, 52 were classified as menacing dogs by deed and another 70 as menacing by breed. During the year only four infringement notices for having an unregistered dog were issued, down from 12 the previous year and well down on the two years prior to that, being 195 in 2011/12 and 156 in 2010/11.

The most unusual job was dealing with a reported influx of bees in urban Masterton.

When dog control officers arrived at the house they could see an outer wall of the house "totally enveloped with bees".

At the rear of the property were a large number of beehives, along with thousands of dead bees. Subsequently police arrested and charged a person with stealing beehives.