Ruapehu District Council is calling on the community to respect the very difficult and important job Animal Control Officers perform, and to support public safety by ensuring that their dogs are always kept under control.

Sharon Robinson, Executive Manager - Regulatory & Customer Services, said that our Animal Control Officers are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our communities. "We ask dog owners secure their pets on their property to prevent them from roaming freely and when out in public ensure that they are under control at all times. "This is a legal requirement under the Dog Control Act to protect the safety of people and other animals," she said.

"We know that pet dogs are much-loved members of the whānau. However, when a dog roams and causes injury or death to people or other animals, it leaves Council with no choice but to protect the community."

Animal Control Officers are kept extremely busy responding to calls from concerned residents and visitors to our district about roaming dogs and the damage they are causing.

"Last week we received a report of a deeply concerning incident where roaming dogs entered school grounds and harmed a five-year-old child. This is on-top of recent incidents where stock have been worried and killed by roaming dogs and is an alarming reminder of the potential risks posed by dogs that are not kept under control.

The Animal Control team is committed to maintaining a safe environment for everyone, and while we deeply empathise with everyone affected by these tragic incidents, we make no apology for the tough decisions that must be made when dogs pose a threat to the community," said Mrs Robinson.

"Our Animal Control Officers deal with incredibly taxing situations that are emotionally distressing for everyone involved — the officers, the victims, and the dog owners. Their primary focus is to keep our communities safe, and we ask the public to support the difficult work they do on their behalf,” she said.

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