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Animal management services

Animal complaints

Give us a call on 07 376 0899 or 0800 ASK TDC (0800 275 832) to make a complaint about:

  • roaming dogs
  • dogs attacking or rushing people or other animals
  • dog nuisance, such as loud and persistent barking or howling
  • dogs fouling
  • keeping of pigs, poultry, bees and other animals within residential areas
  • wandering stock obstructing public roads (note if stock are on a State Highway you should contact the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi)

If your complaint is not urgent, you can also let us know the details by filling in our Contact Us form online.

Contact Us form

Barking dogs

Barking is a normal and healthy means of communication for a domestic dog. However, when the barking is not responded to in the appropriate manner it may become a nuisance.

Under the Dog Control Act 1996 a dog is allowed to bark but not so that it creates a nuisance by persistent and loud barking or howling.

If you are being affected by barking or howling, we suggest you talk to the owner of the dog. Often dog owners are unaware their dog is creating a nuisance and will make a conscious effort to remedy the problem.

Another option is to report the barking dog to us. Include as much detail as possible so that we can correctly identify the location and the dog. Times and duration of the barking and whether or not the owners are home at the time is also useful information to provide at the time of complaint.

Give us a call on 07 3760899 to report the barking dog or fill our Contact Us form online.

Contact Us form

Please remember barking problems can take time to remedy.

What we do when we receive a complaint

A compliance officer will visit the property and attempt to assess the barking problem. They will offer advice to the dog owner for possible remedial actions. We will also send the owner a formal letter advising that a complaint has been made.

If the problem continues, please make a further complaint.We may conduct a survey of the general area to find out if other neighbours are affected.

If we find that the dog is still barking to a nuisance level and the owner has not made improvements to the situation, we can:

  • send a formal letter to the owner
  • issue a barking abatement notice
  • issue an infringement for breaching the barking abatement notice with a $200 fee
  • impound the dog for breaching the barking abatement notice
  • keep the dog until we are satisfied the owner will address the barking effectively
  • prosecute the owner.

Tips to stop your dog barking

Dogs generally bark for a reason. This may be boredom, attention seeking, responding to someone coming onto your property, seeing cats or birds nearby or hearing other dogs and neighbours.

If you suspect your dog is barking while you are away, consult with your neighbours asking them to monitor the barking while you are not home.

Also, when you are at home and your dog barks, you should rectify the problem immediately.

Tips to prevent nuisance barking:

  • Exercise your dog regularly.
  • Rotate and restrict toys your dog can play with at one time. Easy access to all toys will easily lead to boredom.
  • Place treats in different places:
  • around the lawn so your dog can sniff it out
  • in a sandpit, if you have one, so your dog can dig the treats out
  • hanging on a rope's end so your dog has to jump and work for it
  • in a treat ball.
  • Get your dog to play with other dogs. This will help your dog learn the difference between safe and threatening situations (when barking is helpful).
  • Ask a friend or a dog sitter to look after your dog.
  • Keep your dog in a position where it cannot see foot traffic to bark at.
  • NEVER hit your dog. This only builds mistrust and will not stop nuisance barking.
  • Seek advice from a professional such as a dog trainer, local obedience club, one of our compliance officers, your local SPCA or your vet.

Lost and found dogs

If you have lost your dog, give us a call on 07 376 0899. You can also:

  • Visit the pound during our opening hours (see section above)
  • Contact the Taupō SPCA by calling 07 378 4396
  • Check the Taupō lost and found Facebook page or other community or noticeboard pages on Facebook
  • Place an advert in the local paper or with the local radio station

If you find a dog, secure it somewhere (if possible) and call us on 07 376 0899. We'll send an officer out to pick it up and take it to the pound until the owner can be contacted.

If you find a dog and keep it for more than 72 hours you become legally liable for that dog's registration and behaviour.

Bite prevention education sessions

We offer bite prevention education sessions to school groups, community groups, and businesses who encounter dogs when entering private premises for work purposes.

These sessions are designed to provide an opportunity to learn the correct way to approach a dog, understand dog behaviour and how to avoid being bitten by recognising the danger signs.

To find out more information about our education sessions, give us a call on 07 3760899 or fill in our Contact us form online.

Contact Us form

Stock movement permit

Stock can be dangerous if left to wander on roads. New Zealand Transport Authority is responsible for stock on state highways and should be contacted in the first instance if wandering stock is found.

Any stock on public roads or private land can be impounded by our compliance team.

If you wish to move stock on public roads and state highways then you are required to apply for a permit.

The intent of the permit is to provide guidelines on the conditions under which livestock can safely be moved on public roads and allows us to advise other road users where livestock is likely to be encountered.

Give us a call on 07 3760899 for more information.

Stock movement permit application

Conditions for stock movement on public roads

  1. The movement of live stock on public roads should be carried out during the hours of daylight wherever possible.
  2. No person shall drive stock on the public road during the hours of darkness unless an effective warning system is provided to give other road users sufficient advance warning of the presence of the stock on the road. A full description of the warning system must be provided by the applicant before a permit for stock movements during the hours of darkness will be considered. Stock movement during weather conditions such as dense fog that severely impede visibility should also be avoided.
  3. Stock shall be under the control of a sufficient number of competent drovers so that the stock can be moved in a manner that will ensure the safety of other road users and will prevent damage to roadside fences, waterways or other public property.
  4. Stock shall be moved along one side of the road verge, clear of the traffic lanes wherever possible. Stock shall be kept moving so as to travel at least 1.6km per hour on the road.
  5. Traffic Control shall be sufficient to ensure safe passage by vehicles with minimal delays. Traffic Control shall include clearly visible and legible signage and flashing lights located a minimum 150 metres from both ends of the movement, to provide adequate advance warning to motorists. Drovers shall wear high visibility clothing.
  6. State Highways within the Taupo district are controlled by the New Zealand Transport Authority. Their agent in Taupo is Opus Consultants. The permit holder shall notify Opus Consultants if the stock movement route includes a State Highway. Opus may then add other conditions relating to State Highways that shall then apply to this permit.
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