Hon Andrew Hoggard
Associate Minister of Agriculture

The Government is cracking down on the prolonged tethering of dogs, with progress being made on new regulations targeting owners who fail to properly care for the needs of their dogs, Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says.

“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.

“I directed my 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.”

“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.

“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.”

Notes:

• The regulations will give MPI and SPCA Animal Welfare Inspectors the ability to issue fines when they find dogs living in conditions that are often seen when dogs are tethered for long periods, such as heavily worn surfaces, build-up of faecal waste, or displaying behavioural signs of excessive frustration such as excessive barking or self-mutilation.
• Protections will also be introduced for dogs during vulnerable periods such as when they are pregnant, nursing, or in the first six months of their lives.
• Appropriate and practical exemptions are also included that will allow temporary tethering of these dogs such as when they are being trained as farm dogs, or when owners might need to restrain their dog when a tradesperson comes onto their property.
• While these new regulations will allow Animal Welfare Inspectors to take action sooner than they can currently, prosecutions will remain an option when serious offending is identified.

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