Dog control policy

The Dog Control Act 1996 contains obligations that require all owners to register their dogs, ensure they are kept under control and ensure that they do not cause a nuisance to any person, cause damage to property, or injure, endanger or cause distress to any person, stock, poultry or domestic animal, or protected wildlife.

The Council has powers under the Act to assist dog owners to meet these obligations and to address situations where those obligations are not met.

The Dog Control Act 1996 requires Council to adopt a policy on dogs within its district, and review this policy regularly, so that these powers are used effectively and form part of Council’s approach to the management of dogs. 

Tasman District Council’s Dog Control Policy reflects existing practices and states how the community wishes to live with dogs (Objectives), what needs to be done to achieve the objectives (Policies) and what Council can do to ensure the community achieves those policies (Methods).

1. To educate and assist owners to act responsibly with their dogs and ensure their dogs are given proper care, shelter and sustenance as determined by the Act.
2. To minimise any danger, distress and nuisance to the community generally.
   To avoid the inherent danger in allowing dogs to have uncontrolled access to public places frequented by children.
3. To enable the public to use streets and public amenities without fear of attack or intimidation by dogs.
4. To have regard to the exercise and recreational needs of dogs and their owners.
5. To identify any land which is a National Park as constituted under the National Park Act 1980, or is a controlled or open dog area under Section 26 ZS of the Conservation Act 1987.
6. To identify required means of dog control in all public places.