After six years of rising attacks, New Zealand sees dog incidents fall

The number of reported dog attacks in Auckland, New Zealand, has fallen for the first time in six years, with roaming dog complaints also declining, according to an annual report released by Auckland Council on Thursday, RNZ reported.

The council's Animal Management Annual Report for the 2025-26 financial year showed reported dog attacks dropped 5% to 2,722 from 2,864 in the previous financial year, reversing a steady rise in incidents since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dog attacks in Auckland had increased from 1,572 in the 2019-20 financial year to 2,846 in 2023-24, according to the report.

The latest figures also showed a 24.8% decline in complaints about roaming dogs, a 6.1% drop in dog impoundments and a 10.5% reduction in the number of dogs euthanised.

Auckland Council head of animal management Elly Waitoa attributed the improvements to increased patrols, public awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement against irresponsible dog owners.

"Over the past two years we've significantly increased proactive patrols, community education, engagement programmes and compliance action against irresponsible owners," Waitoa said.

She said the council was beginning to see the effects of its efforts to prevent dog-related harm, crediting animal management teams for addressing problems before they escalated.

However, Councillor Josephine Bartley, chair of the council's Regulatory and Safety Committee, warned that irresponsible dog ownership remained a serious concern.

More than 12,000 complaints about roaming dogs were recorded during the year, while animal management officials investigated more than 2,700 dog attacks, she said.

Bartley said many victims, including children, suffered severe injuries that could leave lifelong scars. She urged dog owners to take greater responsibility, including by having their dogs desexed and preventing them from roaming freely.

Waitoa said the council would continue advocating reforms to New Zealand's Dog Control Act 1996 to strengthen its ability to deal with irresponsible owners.

She pointed to recent fatal dog attacks elsewhere in the country as evidence of the need to update the legislation, which is now 30 years old.

The New Zealand government has agreed to review the law, and Auckland Council is assisting with the process to ensure proposed changes effectively address dog-related risks.