An Auckland councillor has criticized “useless dog owners” as the number of animals euthanized at the city’s shelters has increased. Auckland’s dog shelters are struggling to cope with the rising number of animals being taken in, with 2,615 dogs euthanized last year, including 1,660 at the Manukau shelter alone. Auckland has seen a 5.4% increase in the number of known dogs in the city compared to the previous year, totaling over 130,000.
According to Elly Waitoa from Auckland Council Animal Management, the increase in dogs can be attributed to the COVID-19 lockdowns. She explained that when people were at home during the lockdowns, they decided it was a good time to get a dog. However, as lockdowns ended and people returned to work, the council began to see problems with dogs roaming and causing nuisances.
Approximately 80% of the dogs that come through Auckland’s three shelters are picked up for roaming or aggressive-related incidents. Last year, around 6,600 dogs passed through the shelters, and nearly 30% of them ended up unclaimed by their owners and too dangerous to be rehomed. Dogs taken into shelters are given a minimum of seven days for owners to reclaim them. If they are not claimed, they undergo a temperament test, and if they are deemed too aggressive to be rehomed, they are euthanized.
Auckland Councillor Daniel Newman expressed his concerns about irresponsible dog owners and emphasized the importance of responsible pet ownership to prevent dangerous dogs from roaming and posing a risk to residents and other animals in the community. He acknowledged that euthanizing dogs is an unpleasant but necessary function to ensure public safety and protect the welfare of animals.
