Gisborne District Council made no dog-related prosecutions in the 2023-2024 year despite recording 117 dog attacks.
However, the number of infringement notices issued for failing to register was significantly up on that of the previous year.
Those details were in the latest annual report on dog control policy and practices presented at the first full council meeting of 2025.
The lack of prosecutions led councillor Teddy Thompson to ask about dog infringement notices.
Animal control officer Sheri Styles said the council rarely prosecuted.
If an unregistered and unchipped dog attacked, that was “an easy $800” in infringement notices, she said.
Thompson, when told the council was unaware of the number of prosecutions taken by police, said it would be good to know how many serious dog attacks there had been.
The annual report said the council supported the police and other agencies when asked for help in prosecutions.
Councillor Colin Alder said if a dog attacked people or stock while “self-roaming”, it should be put down rather than the council having to “work with the owner”.
It was well-known that even if a farm dog started worrying stock, it would never stop.
Compliance monitoring and enforcement manager Gary McKenzie said Government legislation prevented councils from automatically euthanising dogs.
Councillor Larry Foster asked if a dog was seen without a collar, could it be assumed it was not registered?
“Definitely not,” Styles said. “[But] it should be wearing its tag.”
The annual report said there were 6114 dog owners with 10,994 registered dogs.
The report indicated 921 infringement notices were issued in the year – up from 751 the previous year.
The leading infringement was for failing to register a dog: 875 infringement notices, up from 687 the previous year.
Councillor Josh Wharehinga said it would be appropriate to have a wider dog control conversation.
He had a strong interest in dog control and dog ownership and “where the sensibility lay [with] regard to working as a community all the way up to prosecutions”.