Significant penalties imposed in three dog prosecution cases

The COVID-19 lockdowns saw Auckland’s dog ownership spike by 5.5%, says Auckland Council, with severely limited access to training and socialising opportunities for new pets. Coinciding with this is a 20% increase in dog attacks. “It’s never too late to turn the situation around,” says Elly Waitoa, Manager Animal Management. “Education about responsible dog ownership and understanding canine communication is key to reducing the unfortunate number of cases of dog bites we are seeing.”