Howling Rotorua hunting hounds prompt complaints from neighbour

A Rotorua man says his daily wake-up call is the “horrendous noise” of howling from more than 30 hounds.

After more than two years of complaining to Rotorua Lakes Council, Tom Stephenson believes his concerns about the noise from a neighbouring hunting club property have gone nowhere, and now he is “100% sick of it”.

The council says it is investigating and cannot comment on its next steps, while the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt says it is committed to being a “good neighbour” and open to making changes.

Stephenson moved to the rural outskirts of Ngongotahā in 2009.

One of his closest neighbours was the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt, about 290m away.

He said there were no issues at first, hearing only the occasional bark.

But over time, in his view, the dogs got “more and more out of control”.

Every few hours day and night, the hounds would howl, and individual dogs would yap in between.

He said, “2am with that horrendous noise is just nuts”.

Stephenson said he began complaining to the council seriously two years ago but in his opinion, his concerns fell on deaf ears.

“It’s gradually gotten worse and worse ... we’re 100% sick of it and it does not matter how many times we complain to the council, they do absolutely nothing.”

Stephenson said he had met with the council and someone visited him to check the noise levels a few months ago.

He said he was not provided the results but was told the hounds would need to bark for 15 continuous minutes to be considered a nuisance.

Tom Stephenson's home neighbours the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt. Photo / Supplied

The howls lasted 10 minutes or so, would stop for another 10 and then start up again, he said.

“Some days it’s horrendous.”

Stephenson said he was told to keep calling the council with complaints.

“I could ring them five times a day, but all that does to your mental health is screw with your mind.

“You just get sick of it. I don’t want to be a grumpy neighbour, I don’t begrudge anyone their sport.”

He wondered why the club did not “distribute the dogs among its members”.

Rotorua council responds

Asked what the council was doing about the situation, a spokesman said it attended barking complaints in person where possible and also had “randomised barking patrols”, and both the District Plan and Dog Control Act had been assessed at various points.

“A barking survey with neighbours took place earlier this year, no additional complainants were identified.

“As this matter remains under investigation, it is inappropriate to comment on next steps.”

He said the council’s role was to confirm if regulatory breaches occurred - all dog owners must be responsible and avoid potential barking issues.

“We continue to attempt to identify and confirm any breaches.”

He did not provide what noise level the dogs were recorded at but said it was analysed alongside other factors to check for compliance issues..

“When assessed from the site, dog control officers who have received a complaint and have reasonable grounds for believing that a nuisance is being created by the persistent and loud barking or howling of any dog, have options.”

The club had never been issued an abatement notice.

In response to a clip of the dogs howling at 4am, he said recordings were indicative but not a reliable measure for enforcement.

There were 1415 complaints relating to barking in the district since June 2023.

Hunt committee responds

The Rotorua and Bay of Plenty Hunt executive committee responded to Stephenson’s comments and Local Democracy Reporting questions.

It said Stephenson contacted the committee mid-year with his concerns.

“As we said to Mr Stephenson at the time, we are open to finding a resolution to the matter. Regardless of how long we’ve been here in the community, his mental health and that of others in the community is important, as is the welfare of the dogs in our care.”

It said regular training sessions, proper feeding schedules and a structured environment were in place to keep the dogs well-managed and under control.

“Our team are dedicated to the welfare and control of the dogs, ensuring they are well-behaved and responsive to commands.”

The hunt had 28 mature dogs at the kennels along with 13 pups and all were registered with the council, it said. This was down about 20% on four years ago.

“We are committed to being a good neighbour and are open to making changes to improve the situation for Mr Stephenson.”

It was willing to explore options such as adjusting the dogs’ schedule to reduce noise at night, video monitoring of kennel activity, more planting around the kennels to buffer ambient noise and extra training and exercise to “further control barking”.

It said it was open to ongoing dialogue with Stephenson to find mutually beneficial solutions.

“We are empathetic to Mr Stephenson’s concerns and understand the impact the noise can have on his quality of life.

“We are committed to working collaboratively with him, as well as continuing to work with [the] council, to find a resolution that ensures the wellbeing of both the residents and the dogs.”

It said it was proactive in addressing informal complaints and was in regular communication with the council to ensure regulatory compliance.

“As a community-focused sporting organisation, we are committed to maintaining a positive relationship with the community and adhering to council bylaws and regulations.”

Stephenson intended to speak at the proposed Dog Control Bylaw and Policy hearing on Wednesday.

Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express, and has been a journalist since 2019.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.