Auckland Council is intensifying its response to the city’s roaming dog problem with a new campaign focussed on urging careless owners to act and encouraging the public to remain vigilant.
Local politicians warned that roaming dogs presented serious risks, not only to people and communities, but also to the dogs themselves.
The campaign, “Who let the dogs out?”, included three impactful television commercials that demonstrated the potential harm to dogs left to roam freely, the danger they might pose to others, and the unfortunate reality that some may face euthanasia when owners failed to take responsibility.
The goal was to shake owners out of their “blasé” attitudes and encourage them to improve their care for their dogs, families, and communities.
Community leaders and residents have continued to voice their concerns about roaming dogs. One South Auckland councillor said the problem has even driven local rangatahi to speak out.
“Our young ones see the problem. If school pupils are doing deputations about roaming dogs, you know we need to step up as owners,” said Manukau Ward councillor Alf Filipaina.
Students at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate were so worried about roaming dogs near their school that they addressed Auckland Council’s dog policy panel. Filipaina commended these rangatahi for their involvement, as it was uncommon for young people to take such initiative.
As a key leader in South Auckland, he said the dogs were not the culprits in this crisis, rather it was negligent owners who neededto improve.
Filipaina said dogs deserved better, and anyone who couldn’t care for their pets properly shouldn’t have them. “What really sticks out for me is, dogs deserve better, and they do. They deserve a better owner, and they don’t deserve to be euthanised because of the neglect from owners who let them roam.”
His advice to potential dog owners was straightforward. “If you’re going to buy a dog, look after your bloody dog. If you’re not prepared to, don’t bloody get a dog because you’re sending it to the pound to get euthanised, and that’s wrong.”
Every year, thousands of dogs were found wandering the streets of Auckland, many unregistered and unchipped. About half of all impounded roaming dogs were euthanised because no one claimed them.
Robert Irvine, Auckland Council’s general manager of licensing and compliance, said the council received around 15,000 reports of roaming dogs each year, along with more than 1200 reports of attacks on people and other animals. He said the real figures were likely much higher.
“We are throwing all the resources we have at this problem, but we need dog owners to play their part and take responsibility for their pets, otherwise, this problem is never going to go away,” Irvine says.
The campaign slogan, “For you, your dog, and your neighbours” aimed to connect with owners’ personal motivations, to prevent their dogs from wandering. One advertisement filmed inside a council shelter, featured a real Animal Management officer caring for an abandoned dog.
“Sadly, only around half of impounded roaming dogs are claimed by their owners, meaning the majority of unclaimed dogs are humanely euthanised if they can’t be rehomed,” Irvine says.
“Our shelter staff are all dog lovers, so it’s hard for them to see so many dogs abandoned by owners who don’t seem to care.”
Regulatory and Safety Committee Chair, Josephine Bartley, said they were concerned about the impacts of roaming dogs on children, adding that too many were afraid to walk to school because of the animals.
“Too many dog owners think it’s okay to let their dogs have a wander. It’s not. We have kids scared to walk to school and people living alone who don’t want to leave their homes in case they get bitten. It’s also not fair on the dogs to let them out on their own, as they could be hit by a car, attacked by another animal or be impounded,” Bartley said.
The campaign was funded through fines imposed on owners who failed to register their dogs and would target the communities most affected, especially in South and West Auckland.
Addressing dog-related issues was a top priority for Auckland Council, with the campaign one of several initiatives underway. The council invested more than $5 million in new Animal Management staff, expanded kennel space, desexing drives, and the Pukekohe Adoption and Education Centre.
From July 1, 2024, to 29 June 2025, 10,141 dogs were impounded, an increase from 8306 the previous year. Other measures include public education, targeted desexing in high-risk areas, registration drives, and advocating for changes to the Dog Control Act 1996.
Bartley said councils required stronger powers to address owners of roaming dogs and would support legal reforms to achieve this.
“I have recommended that councils take a stronger enforcement role, as communities have had enough of roaming dogs. I’d like to see more penalties for people who don’t care about their dogs, or what they get up to while on the loose,” she said.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
