Auckland Council’s Animal Management officers are focusing their efforts on catching nuisance and roaming dogs in Takanini, following a spate of recent attacks on cats in the area.
The Council says it has received reports of 12 different cats killed in Conifer Grove in the past month.
Proactive Animal Management Team Leader, Aaron Neary says this is an unusually high number and officers are taking all possible steps to address the issue.
“Our thoughts are with the owners of these beloved pets and we want residents to know we are doing all we can to put a stop to the attacks,” he said.
“Our Animal Management officers are continuing to prioritise complaints in Conifer Grove and our newly-established proactive team are undertaking a minimum of twice-daily patrols in the area.”
Officers have uplifted seven dogs from Conifer Grove in the past two weeks and say they are continuing to work with the community to follow up on all leads.
Members of our Animal Management unit, along with Councillor Daniel Newman, met with Conifer Grove residents last week to hear residents’ concerns and to outline steps the council is taking to address the attacks.
Officers also spoke at the meeting about the challenges they faced, including difficulties in catching roaming and aggressive dogs and a lack of firm evidence identifying the dogs responsible.
“While we have received many complaints from residents about black and/or tan dogs in the area, we cannot take every dog that meets this description into custody,” says Mr Neary.
“What we are doing is uplifting any roaming dogs we see and visiting addresses of interest to speak with dog owners about keeping their dogs contained.
“Cat attacks, as well as attacks on other animals, people and wildlife, often occur when dog owners allow their dog to roam beyond their property. The dog’s sense of its territory can expand to the surrounding area, increasing the likelihood of aggressive behaviour and attacks on animals.”
The Council says dog owners must take all possible steps to ensure their dogs are kept safe, secure and contained on their properties and not allowed to roam. They should also be aware that if a dog is reported as roaming or seen by an Animal Management officer during a proactive patrol, the officer will attempt to uplift the dog and contain it at a Council shelter.
