A National Park Community Board member is challenging the Ruapehu District Council to provide adequate protection against dangerous dogs in the region. Photo / File
A National Park Community Board member is challenging the Ruapehu District Council to provide adequate protection against dangerous dogs in the region. Photo / File
Dog attacks in the Ruapehu region are out of hand says a community representative who is calling on the Ruapehu District Council (RDC) to take action.
National Park Community Board representative John Chapman said 112 sheep have been killed on farms in the Raetihi area since last June and awoman was savaged in a dog attack in National Park.
"Despite regular reports and sightings of the dog in the Raetihi area our animal control department has been unable to resolve the situation.
"This is apparently because there is neither the staff nor resources to adequately fulfil the service required."
Chapman said there had been no animal control staff to follow up the attacks which have amounted to the loss of an estimated $16,000 worth of stock.
"Our resources consist of one rusting dog trap that doesn't actually function which has been rusting away in a paddock in Raetihi for the last 20 weeks.
"Whilst the issue of stock loss through dog attacks has occurred in Raetihi, the nature of the attacks are such that they could also occur in the National Park ward or indeed anywhere in the district."
Chapman has asked the National Park Community Board to call for the RDC to "fulfil its obligations to our communities and ensure we provide adequate protection for both people and livestock from dangerous unsupervised dogs".
"To this end, the council must ensure we have an adequately funded and resourced animal control department - with an emphasis on supporting both the south as well as the north of our district."
A spokesman for the RDC said it disagreed with Chapman's assertions.
"Over the last 12 months since May 2018 council has received 53 reports of dog attacks on other animals," the council said in a written statement.
The calls were split almost evenly between the north and south of the district, he said.
National Park Community Board member John Chapman.
"All of these have been responded to with urgency including working with the police, local farmers, the community and utilising surveillance cameras and traps to catch the offending dogs.
"Council believes that having staff located in the south of the district would make no difference to our ability to respond to issues in a timely and effective manner."
The spokesman said the dog responsible for the attack on a person in National Park in December was caught and destroyed and the owner issued with an infringement notice.
"Mr Chapman is incorrect in that we have no compliance officers.
"Fully staffed we have three full-time compliance officers to cover the district.
"Recently we had two leave in close proximity, however one of them remained available on a part-time basis to provide cover and respond to any emergency situations."
One compliance officer started work this week and the RDC is still seeking to employ a third officer.
"This new officer lives in Raetihi and it is intended that they will work directly from there in the south a few days of the week."
The spokesman said the RDC has also been working to remind farmers of their legal rights under the Dog Control Act to either seize or destroy dogs that attack stock.
