AUCKLAND COUNCIL UNLEASHES NEW ROAMING DOG SQUAD

Auckland Council has launched a new animal management team to tackle the issue of roaming dogs, taking a proactive approach rather than waiting for public complaints.

This new team operates differently from the traditional reactive animal management team. Instead of waiting for calls about stray dogs, the proactive team actively patrols neighbourhoods to catch dogs before they venture into inappropriate areas.

Aaron Neary from Auckland Council emphasized that the goal is to address the roaming dog issue before it leads to incidents of people being chased or injured. “We are primarily focusing on high-risk areas such as Ōtara, Manurewa, and Papakura, where we see elevated levels of roaming and aggressive dogs, and where children are being followed to school by dogs.”

“But we’re also engaging with the community by speaking to schools, talking to parents, and participating in community events where we set up stands and stalls to connect with residents.”

The team focuses its patrols around schools in the morning to help prevent children from encountering scary roaming dogs.

Neary noted that children and roaming dogs do not mix well.

“Not all dogs are friendly. Any dog can bite, and children can be very loud and dramatic. Those sudden movements can really startle a dog. There’s also the risk of traffic accidents if dogs are running through busy streets.”

South Auckland is a hotspot for the region’s dog issues, something Papatoetoe High School Principal Vaughan Couillault is keenly aware of.

He reported that dogs have entered school grounds twice this year, which is problematic even when the dogs are friendly.

“The dogs we encountered were actually very friendly, but it’s still not appropriate to have a loose dog in a school setting,” he said. Couillault noted that the dogs were swarmed by curious and excited teenagers, creating a significant distraction.

Manukau ward councillor Lotu Fuli expressed her concerns about navigating the neighbourhood due to the number of roaming dogs.

“I used to enjoy going for walks for exercise, but now I avoid it because I’m afraid of the dogs,” she said. “I’m not worried about being mugged or hit by a car; it’s the dogs that concern me.”

According to Auckland Council, South Auckland has the highest number of roaming dogs in the region, with over 5,000 picked up in the area from the beginning of the year to the end of August.