Waikato District Council is reviewing its Dog Control Bylaw and Policy. Photo / Alex Burton
Waikato District Council is reviewing its Dog Control Bylaw and Policy. Photo / Alex Burton
A major dog fight is shaping up between Waikato District Council and a group of outraged residents as it reviews the rules around keeping dogs, including a limit of two dogs per rural property, with a special permit required to have more.
The upset dog owners say they have heard that the consent of your neighbours will be required to gain a permit for more than two dogs.
"What if you don't get along with your neighbour because of reasons unrelated to dogs - why would they be allowed to dictate how many dogs I can have?" says one resident.
However, the council says that while there may be a need for animal control officers to contact neighbours, this level of detail in the proposed new bylaw has not yet been decided.
The council insists the purpose of the proposed changes is to protect the wellbeing of all dogs in the district and give the council the ability to act if there are issues with housing and health of the dogs.
However, residents have raised many concerns and questions about timing, costs and procedure. They have formed a Facebook group called WDC Dog control policy and bylaw review: concerns and submission ideas. After a week and a half, the group has 545 members.
WDC animal control team leader Tracey Oakes says there are about 15,000 dogs living in the Waikato District and about 913 rural properties would be affected by the change.
"Over the past five years, council received 58 complaints about multiple dogs in rural areas. This led to 156 dogs being found in poor conditions and showing signs of neglect," she says.
One member of the new Facebook group is Te Kowhai resident Kayla Cox, who owns two dogs and is thinking about a third. She says: "The bylaw is based on complaints [over] five years which relate to only seven [different] properties and most of these dogs were unregistered at the time."
The council says it has sent letters and emails to all registered dog owners as well as issuing four public notices, but Cox says a lot of people are still unaware.
"Most dog owners [I have spoken to] have not received notice yet. I only found out [about the review] because of something that was posted on Facebook. We don't have a lot of time ... submissions close on January 26 - despite holidays."
Cox is also worried about the process of assessing whether a permit will be given: "[I heard] it will require neighbour consent."
The bylaw outlines the council's regulations and management plan for dog ownership and recreational dog activity in the Waikato district. Photo / Andrew Warner
Oakes says the bylaw doesn't state the terms and conditions of a permit, which would be usual for a bylaw.
"The intention is that, if a person [applied] for a permit, one of our animal control officers [does] an inspection to make sure the property is safe and fit for three or more dogs. The officer may decide that they need to contact neighbours depending on the proximity, but it's really important to note that this level of detail has not been decided yet," Oakes says.
Anyone wanting more than two dogs in a rural zone would require a one-off council permit that is free of charge for the first 18 months.
Cox says: "The Waikato District includes towns like Tuakau, Pokeno and Raglan. Who is gonna pay for the officers to visit all these homes? [The council] also couldn't tell us how much a permit is going to cost [after the first 18 months]. How can people object if there is no financial information available."
The limit of two dogs per property won't apply to working dogs nor dogs living in multi-unit or papakāinga housing, at boarding kennels or dog daycare centres. However, the changes would affect breeders, hunting dogs and racing dogs.
Oakes says the majority of dog owners in the district were good, responsible dog owners and the council does not want to make it difficult for them, or to prevent people from having more than two dogs.
"We cannot express strongly enough that the purpose of this proposed change is to protect the wellbeing of all dogs in our district. [The changes] will give us the ability to act if there are issues with housing and health of the dogs."
Other new aspects of the bylaw include prohibiting dogs at skateparks and cemeteries, changes to some of the existing off-leash dog exercise areas and making it possible for dogs to be on the sidelines at sports games.
"We know many parents have their dogs with them when they watch their children play sports. While dogs would still be strictly prohibited from being on the playgrounds, they would be allowed beside [them]."
Originally, people could share their thoughts on the proposed changes until January 16, but WDC has extended the deadline to January 26 after community feedback. As of Tuesday, the council had already received 208 submissions on the bylaw.
The council set up a dedicated Facebook live stream on Tuesday evening to answer people's questions, provide clarity and address what it says are some of the misconceptions and concerns residents had about the proposed changes. A recording of the live stream can be viewed on the council's Facebook page here.
Feedback can be given online or via paper submission. Copies of all the relevant forms are available at council offices and libraries.
