The Government is cracking down on the prolonged tethering of dogs, with new regulations on the way to target owners who fail to properly care for the needs of their pets.
Associate Agriculture Minister, Andrew Hoggard said the new regulations will provide animal welfare inspectors with the tools they need to intervene quickly when they identify a dog that is suffering harm as a result of being tied up for long periods.
“I’m confident these regulations will result in better outcomes for those dogs,” said Mr Hoggard.
“I’ve been hearing a lot from members of the public who want to see action taken, and the SPCA tells us that this is one of the issues that they receive daily calls on. I know that strong animal welfare standards are important to New Zealanders, and we have a level of companion animal ownership which is among the highest in the world.
“When I came to office, officials provided me four proposed regulations. I was concerned that they couldn’t be enforced and that it wouldn’t lead to better outcomes for dogs that are tethered for unreasonable periods of time.”
The Minister said he has directed Government officials to work with the SPCA to improve on the proposals, taking into account the very considered input received during public consultation.
“Recently I took these new proposals to Cabinet, and I am pleased that my colleagues have supported these,” Mr Hoggard says.
“These are very important regulations, and we needed to take our time to ensure the best outcomes.
“Most dog owners in New Zealand treat their animals well and these regulations will have little to no impact upon them,” he said.
“We have a few steps to follow to get these proposals ready to become law, but it is my expectation that these will be finalised by the end of the year. That will be followed by a short period with a focus on education so that all dog owners understand their obligations and to allow those who need to make changes time to adapt.”
