The Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) has published updated Dog Control and Enforcement Guidelines, providing councils with practical guidance to support consistent, effective and proportionate dog control and enforcement across Aotearoa New Zealand.
The refreshed guidelines have been developed in partnership with local government representatives and animal management professionals and respond to the evolving challenges councils face, including roaming dogs, dog attacks, irresponsible ownership and non-compliance.
The updated guidance includes:
- the legislative framework and approaches to dog control and registration
- dog control management
- enforcement tools and processes
- preventative measures
- information management and reporting
- updated data reporting templates and supporting resources.
Taituarā was pleased to contribute to the development of the guidelines through participation in the national working group that guided their development. Throughout the project, we also kept our Regulations and Bylaws Reference Group informed, providing updates on progress and creating opportunities for sector input.
A key priority for Taituarā was ensuring strong technical representation from councils throughout the development process so the guidance reflects operational experience and practical realities. We also worked to ensure the guidelines align with and complement the Council Toolkit Dog Control resources. As a result, references and links to the Toolkit have been incorporated throughout the document, including in Appendix 1, making it easier for councils to access supporting resources alongside the guidance.
While the guidelines do not create new legal obligations, they provide a practical framework to help councils apply the powers available under the Dog Control Act 1996 consistently and transparently, while balancing public safety, animal welfare and responsible dog ownership.
MCERT has advised that publication of the guidelines marks the first phase of its review of the Dog Control Act. The next phase will involve the development of an issues paper to seek stakeholder feedback before any decisions are made on potential legislative change.
We encourage councils to share the guidelines with relevant staff and consider how they can be used to inform operational procedures, training and future reviews of dog control policies.
