Dog rehoming and registration rush in Taupō

Puppies like these found homes in the Taupō district this year.

More than 150 dogs rehomed and a dog registration rate of 98.2 per cent are just some of the highlights in the latest Taupō District Council annual dog control report.

Compliance and regulatory manager Ross McDonald presented the report for the 2021/22 financial year (1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022) to the council last week.

“Our compliance officers continue to build great relationships with our community, and this is shown by a decrease in criticism and a rise in support in areas such as social media pages,” he said.

“Through positive interactions we are able to support our community and offer information and advice in regards to animal control, and promote the benefits of compliance.”

The key objectives in Taupō District Council’s Dog Control Policy are: to provide for exercise and the recreational needs of dogs and their owners; minimise the fear of dogs attacking or intimidating people; avoid danger from uncontrolled dogs entering children’s play areas; minimise danger, distress and nuisance caused by dogs; and have all dogs registered and microchipped.

“Dog registration for the 2021/22 year was completed at 98.2 per cent of known dogs in the district. Considering the strain put on our community by Covid-19, this should be considered a successful registration period. We did not apply penalty rates due to the difficulties people faced during the pandemic.”

The report was also an opportunity to acknowledge the work the Taupō District Council compliance team has done to ensure all dogs have the chance to live a happy and healthy life.

“The work they do is anything but easy, and even more challenging for the team due to the number of dogs that continue to come into our care,” McDonald said in the report.

“In every case where we have dogs that are found roaming and unregistered, abandoned or surrendered due to owners unable to cope, we make every effort possible to ensure they have the opportunity to be adopted. In this financial year, we rehomed more than 150 dogs.

“Our success is due to our people, and in particular, the relentless efforts of our pound keeper, Taylor Hori. Through Taylor’s commitment to his work, and, of course, the team as a whole, we have had amazing success in reuniting dogs with their owners or adopting dogs nationwide.

“We work closely with our community and rescue groups, as well as utilising our official Facebook page Taupō District Adopt a Dog to find as many suitable homes as possible.

“We ensure that we capture great pictures along with a narrative of our dogs that communicates their personality and needs. This captures attention and inspires people to consider a rescue dog as a pet.”

The full report is available online at www.taupodc.govt.nz/animalmanagement.