Animal Management
Complaints
To make a complaint, please contact our Customer Services Team on 07 862 8609 or freephone 0800 734 834 (from within the District) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
During office hours, our Customer Services Team will enter your complaint in our system for our Animal Management Team to investigate.
If your complaint is after-hours, and is regarding dog attacks, secured dogs or wandering stock, these are classified as a high priority and will be phoned through to our Animal Management Team to action. All other non-urgent complaints will be responded to on the next business day.
If your complaint is not urgent (i.e. NOT a dog attack, secured dog or wandering stock), you can also complete an online form Contact Us or Report an Issue which will be entered in to our system on the next business day.
What we need from you
When making a complaint, please provide as much information as possible. This information may include:
- Exactly what the problem is
- The time and location where the incident happened
- Anything that might help identify the dog eg breed, colour sex, size
- The address that the dog comes from (if known)
- The owner’s name (if known)
We will also request your name and contact details (your details will remain confidential) in case we need to phone you for more information and to let you know the outcome. Anonymous complaints will not be investigated.
The Animal Management Team will then investigate your complaint and take appropriate action. If the dog can be identified as living at a particular property, an Animal Management Officer will visit the property and speak to the dog owner. If the dog cannot be identified, patrols of the area will be completed.
Dog Attack
If you or your pet are attacked by a dog it is important to report the incident as soon as possible so that we can locate the dog and ensure it is secured to prevent further attacks. Information we will be looking for:
- Were you or your pet bitten?
- Do you have a medical report and/or receipt?
- Any identification of the attacking dog or its owner
- Vehicle registration (if applicable)
- Were there any witnesses? Do you have their contact information?
It is important to report complaints at your earliest convenience, as it can often cause confusion when recalling detailed information such as times, dates, and people's recollections.
Roaming Dogs
If you see a dog roaming dog, contact our Customer Services Team who will pass on the details to Animal Management. Make sure you give as many details as possible – such as if the dog was aggressive, if it had a collar and tag, and which direction was it heading when you last saw it. All these details help Animal Management locate the dog a lot faster.
If possible and you feel safe in doing so, take a photo of the roaming dog, and either email to info@hauraki-dc.govt.nz or bring into one of our offices and they will be passed on to our Animal Management Team.
Barking Dogs
Barking complaints can take some time to resolve and can be frustrating if you find yourself being affected by persistent barking or howling. In the first instance, we recommend you speak to the dog owner. More often than not, dog owners appreciate being made aware that their dog is causing a nuisance and they may not be aware if it is happening when they are not at home.
If persistent barking or howling continues, please let us know and we will work with the owner to remedy the barking. When making a barking complaint, we will need to know:
- Can you identify the barking dog(s) or where it/they live?
- What time of the day is the barking happening?
- How often is the barking happening and for how long?
- Could there be a reason why the dog is barking? New property owner/change to owner’s routine etc?
Wandering Stock
Stock can be dangerous if left to wander on roads. If you come across wandering stock, please contact us on 07 862 8609 24/7 and an Animal Control Officer will be dispatched to follow this up. When making a wandering stock complaint, we will need to know:
- The exact location of the stock
- Approximately how many stock
- Have you been able to locate an owner
Dog Control Act, Policy and Bylaw
View the legal information about:
- the rules and requirements for keeping dogs;
- the responsibilities of owners;
- places dogs can be exercised, on or off their leash;
- also the annual report providing information and statistics about Dog Control in the Hauraki District..
