2 Sept 2025: euthanisation of dogs
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Euhanisation of dogs
Enquiry
I have some questions around the dog pound and rehoming statistics if possible.
I saw a recent article that said 50% of impounded dogs required euthanasia over the past five months and I wanted to dig a little deeper into that if possible.
Just some questions below:
- First of all, absolutely nobody will want to be putting dogs down, what is the personal toll on employees at having such a high rate of euthanasia?
- What are some of the reasons why dogs are not rehomed and eventually have to be put down?
- What is the capacity at Rotorua dog pound?
- How many dogs have been rehomed?
- Do we have a figure for the percentage of dogs put down over the past year Aug 1-Jul 31 is fine if possible?
- Do you have those same stats for 2024 and 2023?
- Do you have any comparisons of the number of dogs being impounded for the same time period for 2025, 2024 and 2023?
Response
From Group Manager – Destination Development Jean-Paul Gaston:
We always do our very best to re-home dogs, and it’s heartening to see so many happy outcomes. This year alone, 135 dogs have found new homes, up from 80 last year and just 26 the year before. That increase reflects the dedication of our Animal Control team.
Sadly, not every dog can be rehomed. In some cases, due to behaviour, health, or legal restrictions, our team faces the very difficult decision of euthanasia. This is never taken lightly and is deeply upsetting for our staff. As of 31 August 2025, 98 dogs have been euthanised, compared to 439 in the 2023/24 financial year and 379 in 2024/25.
It’s important to note that our situation is different from other councils. Many of the dogs we deal with are classified as menacing, meaning they can’t be re-homed. We’ve also seen more dogs being surrendered, picked up roaming, or seized for offences.
We ask anyone thinking about getting a dog to carefully consider the commitment, responsibilities, and costs involved. By making informed choices, we can reduce the number of dogs needing our care and give more animals the chance of a safe and loving home.
Note to reporter: Our animal control statistics are recorded by financial year, so we’re not able to break them down by specific dates.
