Instances where dogs are not claimed after being impounded have gone down in the past year for the Gore District Council.
In the last financial year, 2023-24, the council dealt with nine unclaimed dogs in the pound.
This was down on the previous year when 16 were unclaimed.
Regulatory manager Frances Shepherd said council’s animal management team appreciated the challenge some dog owners faced and tried to work with customers whenever possible.
"More often than not an impounded dog is not microchipped or registered," she said.
For a registered dog it cost an owner $50 to claim it from the pound, while a non-registered dog cost $80.
Every subsequent impoundment after then would cost $150.
If a dog is not claimed the council aimed to find a new home for it.
"Councils must keep an impounded dog for seven days.
"Costs associated with an unclaimed dog are covered by the council."
If finding a new home was not an option, they were taken to a veterinarian to be euthanised.
The number of safety-related complaints noted in the report were on a par with previous years, she said.
