Dog walkers fear new rules will put them out of business

A group of dog walkers have raised concerns about a proposal to change Auckland’s dog rules to limit the number of dogs one person can walk.

Auckland Council reconsiders Kaupapa mo nga Kuri | Dog Policy 2019 and Ture a Rohe Tiakina Kuri | Dog Breeding Ordinance 2019, final decision will be made in 2025.

The Association of Professional Dog Walkers expressed its concerns at Tuesday’s Franklin Council meeting, particularly about a proposal to limit the number of dogs one person can walk, either on or off a leash.

“The first issue we would like to bring to your attention is the lack of information and evidence that there is a problem with this in the Auckland area,” Peter Speake said.

“The council data presented to you showed that only 0.7 per cent of all complaints last year involved multi-dog walking.”

According to him, in real figures it is about 10.

“This is a completely insignificant figure when you consider 38 percent of all complaints related to stray dogs.

“And that number is up 50 percent from last year.”

He said the real problem for Animal Control and Oakland is stray dogs, “not the ones walking and training the dogs.”

Speke said the proposal to restrict dog walking would impact local residents.

“We know that the majority of complaints involve roaming and barking, and SPCA research shows that in 2018, only 30 per cent of dog owners walked their dogs daily.

“So professional dog walkers, or dog walkers who walk multiple dogs, provide a valuable service to residents in your local county who have to travel long distances to work.

“This allows them to go to work safely knowing their dogs are getting a good workout.”

Other key changes to the draft included amendments or clarifications to dog access rules at 14 regional parks, as well as clarity to some existing rules in the Policy and Bylaw.

“Introducing a multi-dog walker restriction will remove the vast majority of professional dog walkers in the Auckland region.

“…or significantly increase prices to serve fewer residents, making the service virtually prohibitive for most people.”

Franklin Local Council and other Auckland councils will provide their views on a draft of the proposed changes after receiving public feedback.

The Regulatory and Safety Committee will review the local board’s views in December and recommend the proposal to the Governing Body.

Public consultation on the proposal is scheduled for early 2025, discussions in June, and a final decision by the Governing Council in July.

LDR is local journalism jointly funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.