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A Northland woman has to take her grandson to school in a taxi due to the number of aggressive dogs roaming the area.
Tracie Clarke moved to the Whangārei suburb of Otaika with her family in May.
Since then, “there have been many incidents and near misses,” he said.
Stuff
Tracie Clarke says that the aggressive dogs that roam the streets of Whangārei terrify her and her grandson. (File photo)
“They have accused us of. I’ve never been bitten, but a couple of times I was saved by motorists. “
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The problem is so serious that Clarke will no longer accompany her grandson to and from school, a walk of less than 10 minutes each way.
But because her husband uses the family car to work, she has to use a taxi, which costs at least $ 30 a day.
Supplied
Clarke says that many of the problem dogs are pit bulls or ridgeback-type dogs. (File photo)
“I’ve really had enough. I’ve probably cried most days over the fact that I can’t take my grandson on our regular walk.
“I love walking and it’s an opportunity to catch up on the day or stop at the park. They have taken everything from us, now they are damn taxis and ‘hurry up, the meter works’ ”.
Clarke said she has called for dog control numerous times with mixed results. Sometimes the offending dog has been detained, other times the dog is long gone or cannot be identified without a photograph.
Clarke’s neighbors, a young couple with a dog, even moved out of the area and rented their home because they were too scared to walk their dog locally, he said.
Stacy Squires / Stuff
The Whangārei District Council seized 557 dogs in 2018/19. (File photo)
“I have talked to many local people and they all say it is out of control.
“At the end of the day, I think anyone should be able to walk out of their door without fear of being attacked.”
Clarke wants dog owners to take on more responsibility. She also wants the Whangārei District Council dog control to have zero tolerance for threatening dogs and to be more proactive about roaming dogs.
Reiner Mussle, health and statutes manager for the Whangārei District Council, said there have been fewer dog attacks and complaints about running dogs this year, but more wandering complaints compared to the previous year.
The full report for the 2019/20 year is not yet available, but Mussle said the council’s contractor handled a total of 4,358 dog control matters, down slightly from the previous two years.
The number of dogs has increased significantly in the district in recent years, and the number of registered dogs increased 60 percent in two years, from 7,400 in 2016/17 to 12,000 in 2018/19.
When Whangārei City Council is compared to Auckland City Council, Auckland has 8.8 times as many registered dogs, but only 6.3 times as many complaints.
Mussle said Whangārei’s contract and dog control service will be renewed before July 1, 2021, which will be an opportunity to consider whether the service needs to be improved.
If it increases, the impact on budgets and dog registration fees should be considered, he said.
If more resources and funds were available, the contractor could be more proactive in controlling dogs, such as patrolling problem areas, Mussle said.
However, the council was unable to impose zero tolerance on rushing or attacking dogs, as that would require the central government to change the Dog Control Act.
