The Dog Control Act 1996 referred to as ‘the Act’, requires the Council to develop a policy on dog control. The Dog Policy specifies:
- the nature and application of any bylaws made to give legal powers to implement the Dog Policy and determine what is considered to be an offence
- public places where dogs will be controlled on a leash, prohibited or allowed of leash (exercise areas)
- whether dogs classified as menacing must be neutered and the criteria used to decide whether to neuter
- fees and expenditure
- education programmes (for dogs and owners)
- when owners may be classified as probationary owners or disqualified from owning dogs
- infringements set by the Dog Control Act 1996.
The Council recognises that the majority of dog owners in Wellington are responsible and that most interaction between dogs and the public is positive. This policy aims to achieve a balance between the control of dogs and recognition of the community health benefits of dog ownership.
Wellington Dog Policy (436KB PDF)