Kaipara Releases 2025/26 Dog Control Annual Report

Kaipara District Council has published its Annual Animal Management Report for the 2025/26 registration year, meeting statutory reporting requirements under Section 10A of the Dog Control Act 1996.

The report details canine population trends, community service requests, and enforcement outcomes across the Kaipara district between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026.

Record dog population and registration compliance

Kaipara achieved its highest number of registered dogs to date at 5,349 for the 2025/26 period. The known canine population expanded by 238 dogs to a record 5,688, representing a 9% growth over the past two years.

Proactive compliance operations contributed to this growth, with animal management officers identifying 477 dogs previously unknown to council through targeted patrols, property inspections, and follow-up enquiries. Council maintained a registration compliance rate of 94% among known dogs. Under the Dog Control Act 1996, council recorded two disqualified owners, zero probationary owners, and one formal warning letter.

Classifications and enforcement outcomes

Active dangerous dog classifications under Section 31 remained at three dogs (one by conviction, one by sworn evidence, and one by written owner admittance). Menacing dog classifications under Section 33 increased by 102% to 87 dogs, comprising 31 classified for behaviour under Section 33A(1)(b)(i) and 56 classified as Schedule 4 breeds or types under Section 33C.

Enforcement activity rose across the district, with 258 infringement notices issued compared to 116 in 2024/25. The most frequent offences included failure to keep a dog controlled or confined (88 notices), failure to comply with bylaws (78 notices), and keeping an unregistered dog (74 notices). Council secured its first successful court prosecution under the Dog Control Act, with two additional prosecutions initiated and progressing through the court system.

Service requests and shelter operations

Council logged 2,853 total service requests during 2025/26, including 1,296 administration requests, which the report attributes to work on the accuracy of dog registration and classification records. Customer-initiated service requests excluding administrative and proactive patrol work decreased slightly to 1,031 calls. Recorded incidents included 41 dog attacks, 35 rushing complaints, 335 wandering dogs, and 267 barking complaints. ACC figures cited in the report show dog bite injury claims in Kaipara declined from 3.9 claims per 1,000 residents in 2024 to 3.0 in 2025/26.

Council impounded 138 dogs during the financial year, with 67 returned to owners, 13 adopted into new homes, and 58 euthanised. The council's Policy on Dogs 2019 and Dog Management Bylaw 2019 came into effect on 1 November 2019.

For regional compliance requirements and registration processes, consult our checklist for NZ council dog registration and complete guide to dog registration in New Zealand.

Sources

• https://www.kaipara.govt.nz/uploads/dogs/Dog%20reports/KDC%20Annual%20Animal%20Management%20Report%202025-26.pdf
• https://www.kaipara.govt.nz/news/post/1073-Comprehensive-dog-control-approach-delivering-results-in-Kaipara