About 40 folks, many with dogs, have been protesting towards the Far North District Council’s canine management system in Kaikohe on Thursday. Photo / Mike Dinsdale
Activists protesting the council’s canine management coverage are delighted with Mayor Moko Tepania’s vow to enhance the system, however say they’ll be ensuring the system that’s “not fit for purpose” will get higher.
About 40 folks, many with dogs, protested outdoors the Far North District Council (FNDC) workplaces on Thursday over what they are saying is a canine management system that’s not operating successfully and isn’t match for goal, with far too many dogs getting put down.
The protest was organised by Bay of Islands Watchdogs co-ordinator Leonie Exel and Bay of Islands Animal Rescue founder Summer Johnson, after years of frustration with the best way the FNDC ran its animal management. Both made shows to the next council assembly to stipulate their issues to councillors.
While they have been outdoors the council chambers forward of the assembly, they chanted “dogs’ lives matter” and Tepania got here out to speak to them and listen to their issues.
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He promised these protesting that he heard their issues and can work to make the system higher. He advised them he had heard them and would do what he might to enhance the council’s canine administration system, however acknowledged it was not a straightforward process.
“If I’m honest, I’m so happy to have our Far North whānau come here to show their dissatisfaction [with the dog control system]. It should be the community here pushing us to get things right,” he stated.
Tepania stated he had a canine within the whānau and understood how a lot they meant to folks.
He stated the Far North had one of many lowest canine registration charges within the county, however probably one of many highest variety of dogs, with as much as 12,000 within the area.
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Tepania acknowledged the wandering canine problem was widespread within the Far North, and had been for a while, however vowed to attempt to flip the state of affairs round.
He stated there had been two deadly canine assaults within the area up to now 18 months or so and he didn’t need to see that occur once more, and training on good pet possession was essential.
Exel stated she was inspired by the mayor’s response to their issues, however would solely imagine that the system would change when it occurred.
“It’s great that Moko has listened to us, as we did not feel the council has been listening to us previously, and we’ll be watching to make sure he lives up to the commitment,” she stated.
Exel stated she and others had been complaining for years in regards to the council’s canine administration system and it was essential that the mayor had heard their issues and given a dedication to look into the issue and hopefully enhance it.
“It needs improving, and it needs improving now.”
Johnson advised the councillors that her’s and different animal rescue teams within the Far North saved the council numerous work and assets, however that they had no employees and little funding.
She stated up to now 12 months FNDC kilos had taken in 517 dogs, however her group had rehomed 969 in the identical time. As properly, the Donna Doolittle Animal Rescue centre in Kaitāia had rehomed tons of extra.
Johnson stated this took a number of the stress off the council’s two canine kilos, and if the 2 teams weren’t there, all these dogs would have gone into the council’s kilos and most of them would doubtless have been put down.
She stated the FNDC had the very best canine euthanisation charge within the nation – 21 of the 28 dogs within the Kaitāia pound have been killed in September this 12 months – and the council needed to put extra money and assets into staffing the canine administration workforce, desexing, training for canine homeowners and prosecuting unhealthy canine homeowners whose animal attacked or regularly roamed.
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The Far North has the very best charge of dog-related accidents within the nation. Dog-related accidents had cost New Zealand $15.8 million within the 12 months to June 30, ACC figures reveal – an a rise of almost 50 per cent from 5 years earlier.
The Far North District leads the best way with regards to canine assaults, with 427 ACC claims within the 2022-23 12 months or 5.88 dog-related accidents per 1000 folks per 12 months, which is greater than double the nationwide common and far increased than for Whangārei and Kaipara district councils.
