In response to questions from Local Democracy Reporting, the council has revealed 38 dogs were put down in the 2023/24 year - an increase from 25 for the previous reporting year.
More dogs were handed over to council during the more recent period, while at the same time many rehoming facilities were full so could not help, the council said.
On August 13, an annual report for dog control was presented to councillors which compared data against the previous year.
But the figure for how many dogs the council had put down was absent from the report, with Deputy Mayor Tom Campbell saying at the time it was “noticeably missing”.
After the figures were released, the council's group manager consenting and environment, Jonathan Shaw, said the increase was caused by a rise in the number of dogs signed over to the council’s care during those periods, which had jumped from two to 19.
“The rehoming agencies we deal with were often at capacity during the 2023/24 year, which resulted in dogs remaining at the animal care facility for longer periods.”
Shaw also explained the process dogs underwent once entering the facility, saying they were assessed on an ongoing basis.
A final assessment was completed at the point the dog became council responsibility, and if it passed, the council would work with agencies for rehoming.
If it failed, the dog would be euthanised.
Shaw said a failed assessment meant the dog failed “ongoing and final evaluation for rehoming”.
Dogs could also be put down for medical or mental health reasons, with the latter sometimes being a result of the dog's home life.
“Poor ownership can have a huge effect on a dog’s behaviour, which can limit its chances of being rehomed due to the risk it could pose with a new owner,” he said.
Euthanisations were undertaken by a veterinarian at either the care facility or a vet clinic, with staff going to "considerable lengths" to give extra care.
“This is a very difficult part of the role for animal control staff.”
Another issue that had presented itself in the past year was busy rehoming agencies, Shaw said, which had resulted in dogs staying at the care facility for longer than usual.
In regards to euthanisations, Campbell said numbers had fallen over the medium-term, despite the recent increase.
“Over recent years I know staff have worked hard to bring numbers down and council is very minded to keep it to an absolute minimum.”
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
