Welcome to the Amusement Park: Shotgun Ride with Oakland’s New Dog Patrol

The council is taking a new proactive approach to protecting schoolchildren from the growing number of stray dogs. Liam Ratana rides along.

Last week I was driving to work, passing the road in Mangere (where I live) when I noticed a man dressed in a collared shirt, trousers and shoes running frantically along the footpath; his laptop bag is fluttering and there is an expression of deep concern on his face. My mind raced: Was there an active shooter? Did someone try to jump on him? Was he caught doing something he shouldn’t have done?

Just when I began to wonder if my own safety might be in jeopardy, I saw a stray dog ​​chasing a man, barking aggressively as he ran for his life. That day I was driving along the same road and saw a child running in a school uniform with the same scared expression on his face as the same dog chasing him.

Māngere has just been named the suburb with the fifth highest number of requests for services by Auckland Council’s animal management team. Between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, Manurewa had 2,240 service requests, more than any other Auckland area. Papakura was next on the list with 2176 inquiries, Otara 1737 and Papatoetoe 1452. Over the same period, the total number of dog attacks in Auckland rose 17% to 2846.

There have been 40 reported attacks on children and young people this year, with the majority believed to be from Māori or Pacific Islander backgrounds. However, council officials say Starship has received many more cases than reported.

“People don’t report attacks because they are afraid of what might happen to their dogs, their family or friends’ dogs,” an Auckland Council spokesman tells me.

Auckland Council attributes the increase in attacks to an increase in the number of stray dogs, which they attribute to lower desexualization rates and an increase in the number of dogs bred specifically for the purpose of being sold or traded for goods.

“Kids want dogs, so their parents get them a dog, not realizing the responsibilities and costs that come with owning a dog, so they end up giving it up,” says activist animal control officer Galvin Peters.

In response to the rising number of dog attacks, the council launched an active animal management team late last year. The proactive team is responsible for regular school patrols in areas considered high risk. In addition to the regular patrol program, animal control officers carry out morning and afternoon patrols three times a week in Mangere, Papakura and Otara.

Lily Harris (Ngati Porou) is one of the active animal handlers. Harris was born and raised in the home of the brave Otara. Before applying for the new team, he worked at the Manukau Animal Shelter. The kennel can house about 120 dogs, and Harris says it’s almost always full.

“We had so many dogs coming in that we couldn’t keep up,” Harris says.

Last Wednesday I rode with Peters and Harris on the morning school patrol through Otaru. Driving along the Otara road, the keen eyes of the officers quickly notice their first stray dog. As we parked on the side of the road, the dog disappeared into what appeared to be the Kainga Ora property. Peters takes a photo of the dog with his phone before calling on the radio to check if the house has been marked for any reason, such as abuse by an officer, or if any dogs are registered there.

Both answers are no, so Peters and Harris step out of a silver Ford Ranger, dressed head to toe in serious tactical gear, including black boots, vests with body cameras, radio transmitters, leashes and retractable bite sticks.

A woman opens the door and explains that the dog just showed up one day and has been hanging around ever since. She is not registered, so Peters gives the woman a notice saying the dog must be registered within seven days if she wants to keep it and avoid a $300 fine. Although that dog managed to escape through the front gate, which was left open, Peters says there were problems with holes in the fence around the property.

“A lot of the properties we go to are owned by Kainga Ora,” Peters says.

A lack of timely and adequate maintenance at the Kainga Ora site, such as failure to seal holes in fences, means that dogs can often roam and take resources from the animal management team that could be used elsewhere. This is just one problem that is beyond the control of officers like Harris and Peters.

Back on the road, Peters begins talking about the educational work the team does in local schools about dog safety and responsible dog ownership. They also visit community organizations that offer in-home services, such as District Nurses and Plunket, teaching them how to safely approach a home that has a dog on its property.

In his role, Peters appears to have built positive relationships with community members. While chasing a stray dog ​​near Dawson Elementary School, where Peters recently held one of his workshops, some students stop and wave.

“The best part of the job is educating the community. The key message we share is that any dog ​​can bite,” Peters says.

It’s a sentiment echoed by Harris, who says she enjoys “making a difference in my community and my culture.” Harris, who grew up in South Auckland and has Cook Islands heritage, appreciates the stark differences in dog care in Aotearoa compared to dog care practices in the Pacific Islands. Having lived in Rarotonga myself, I know that dog owners there neglect the care of their dogs, which are usually left to roam freely.

During two nearly two-hour patrols, we encountered at least six stray dogs. Two stray dogs were spotted near a primary school and kindergarten. By the end of the morning school shift, three notices had been issued, including a $300 fine for repeat offences, and one dog had been confiscated.

“Welcome to the amusement park,” says Harris as we pull up to the Manukau Animal Sanctuary.

The confiscated dog, a young-looking white bulldog mix, is scanned for a microchip, weighed, photographed and placed in a concrete kennel to await its fate. If no owner is found or comes forward, the impounded dogs are subject to a temperament test. If they pass the test, they will be put up for adoption. If they fail, they are held for seven days and then euthanized.

Of the 4,770 dogs that were not reunited with their owners, less than 10%, or 455 dogs, were adopted, according to the council’s latest report. A total of 4,007 dogs were euthanized at taxpayer expense, or 84% of unclaimed dogs.

“It’s a good feeling when you can reunite each dog with its owner,” says Peter.

There are currently three shelters in Auckland, with a fourth opening soon in Pukekohe, although this particular shelter will solely be an adoption centre. Despite the ongoing challenges of a lack of adequate resources and the failure of government agencies such as Kainga Ora to play their role, the council is hopeful that its proactive approach and educational efforts will bear more fruit rather than a punitive approach.

Meanwhile, it continues to invest more than $172 million in taxpayer dollars into regulatory services, including animal control.

“If people were responsible dog owners, there would be no need for animal control specialists,” says a council spokesman.