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NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Health
- NZ Herald
Off-lead dog on Ōrewa Beach sends fatal car crash survivor back into surgery
She was soon vomiting and by Monday was rushed by ambulance to hospital. Her bowel had burst after becoming knotted and blocked, she said. She was taken into emergency surgery, with doctors cutting 80cm from her bowel, having warned her she was a high-risk patient because of her previous injuries, she said. 'If it happened to me three years ago, it likely would have killed me,' Harris said about the dog's impact from her North Shore Hospital bed. Losing 10kg on her liquid diet, she recovered enough post-surgery to go home, only to end up infected and back in hospital last week, she said. Joanne Harris was back in North Shore Hospital last week with an infection after saying her bowel burst after an incident with an off-lead dog on Auckland's Ōrewa Beach last month. Photo / Supplied That led a friend to post on the Torbay, Waiake, Long Bay, NZ Facebook page calling for the owners of the white dog to come forward. Off-lead dogs are allowed on Ōrewa Beach during winter, but Harris claimed the white dog – while friendly - had been totally out of control, with its owners unable to catch it. Just before turning and running at Harris, it had also forced another beach-goer to pick up their small dog and try to get away, she said. She wanted the dog owners to come forward and accept accountability. It comes as Auckland Council considers dangerous and roaming dogs a top priority and is 'throwing all the resources' it has at the problem. It received 16,730 reports about roaming dogs in the past year, plus 1341 reports of dog attacks on people and 1523 reports of dog attacks on other animals. Joanne Harris said doctors had to drain toxic material from her stomach after her bowel burst. Photo / Supplied Auckland Council released a statement yesterday calling on the Government to give councils stronger powers to penalise dog owners and enforce Dog Control Act laws. 'Too many dog owners think it's okay to let their dogs have a wander. It's not,' Auckland councillor Josephine Bartley said earlier in the month. 'We have kids scared to walk to school and people living alone who don't want to leave their homes in case they get bitten.' Harris said she owns an English bull terrier and an American bulldog, and has taught them not to jump on people. While dog owners might think their loose animals wouldn't cause harm, they needed to remember the injured and vulnerable, Harris said. What if it 'were an elderly lady" that the dog jumped on, she asked. Harris said her trauma doctor from 2016 had visited her and said her old injuries wouldn't have caused her bowels to knot. She had been regaining her health over the past three years and starting to walk again in public. Joanne Harris is anxious to get out of hospital and back to her son and daughter. Photo / Supplied She said that on the day the dog jumped at her, she had gone out for one of her first coffees and beach walks since the accident. It was another painful setback coming through no fault of her own. In 2017, the Herald visited Harris along with Dr Marcus Chan – the man who had saved her life aboard an Auckland Rescue Helicopter. Harris said at the time that she had been driving over the Dome Valley Hill near Warkworth in north Auckland in 2016. She recalled seeing a van overtaking the cars in front of him and heading straight for her. She wondered whether to speed up or brake but realised she could not avoid the crash. She let go of the steering wheel, flinging her arm up to protect her face. 'I remember watching my hand ... fly across off [the] steering wheel and literally snap off my wrist in front of my face.' Joanne Harris owns an American bulldog and English bull terrier, which she says she has trained to never jump on people. Photo / Supplied Chan said Harris' crash injuries were 'immediately life-threatening'. She had no blood pressure and was screaming from the pain. The rescuers cut off the top of her car and moved the engine off her leg. Without Chan and the Auckland Rescue Helicopter arriving quickly, she likely would have bled to death. The helicopter was the only one at the time to carry emergency trauma doctors on board, and that meant Chan was able to give her lifesaving blood transfusions. She woke a month later in hospital having been in an induced coma. Her body was riddled with broken bones and she had suffered serious internal injuries, including lacerations to her lungs and liver. Her baby – who was at 34 weeks' gestation – did not survive. Harris said in 2017 she considered herself lucky, given she had been told that nine out of 10 people died from the types of injuries she suffered. Nevertheless, she's frustrated to be seriously injured again. It has cost her a long-planned trip to Great Barrier Island and yet more time in already hard-fought recovery. 'I would just not want my dog to cause this type of injury to anybody.' Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown Rejects Dog Task Force Amid Calls From Residents
Article – Mary Afemata – Local Democracy Reporter Wayne Brown says he acknowledges the rising concerns about roaming dogs, but insists the council is already addressing the issue. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has rejected requests to establish a mayoral taskforce on dogs, saying it would duplicate initiatives already in place. The decision comes despite increasing pressure from Manurewa residents, who feel that roaming dogs are making their neighbourhoods unsafe. Brown acknowledged the rising concerns about roaming dogs, especially in South Auckland. But he insisted that the council was addressing the issue through existing programmes. Brown supported the work of the Regulatory and Safety Committee, chaired by Councillor Josephine Bartley and supported Councillor Daniel Newman from Manurewa and the local board. The committee focuses on improving public safety and managing dangerous dogs. Brown and Bartley had also communicated with relevant government ministers, advocating for legislative changes to strengthen enforcement powers. The council's Long-Term Plan has allocated further funding to hire more animal control officers, improve enforcement, trial desexing programmes in high-risk areas, and seek reforms to the Dog Control Act. Brown said a data-led approach to targeting areas in need, including free desexing services in South and West Auckland, was key. He also recognised the Manurewa Local Board's efforts to fund more animal control staff and was looking for ways to expand the capacity of local shelters. Residents report ongoing issues Despite these efforts, Manurewa residents contended that the problem remained unresolved. At a public meeting hosted by MP Arena Williams, several residents shared alarming stories about dangerous, roaming dogs in their streets and parks. Brendan, a concerned resident, recounted, 'I was fixing up my boat, and from around the corner a huge dog suddenly advanced on me. Lucky, I was able to drive it back using a rope.' Victoria, a local dog owner, was frustrated, and said the issue had forced her to stop walking in her neighbourhood. 'I'm afraid to go to my local park. I bought a house here and want to make it my home, but I'm driving to other suburbs to walk my dog. It's holding me back from making friends and putting down roots.' Another resident Ryan said response times from the council had worsened. 'I've been calling the Council, but response times have gotten worse. I wonder if, after a certain time, traps could be used in problematic places.' Williams continued to advocate for a mayoral taskforce on dogs and is working closely with central government. 'Central government are holding local government back. They need to legislate for change, fund frontline council services, and back the communities carrying the burden of inaction,' she said. She thanked the SPCA, Brown, and Bartley for supporting a new initiative that offers free dog desexing, microchipping, and vaccinations in high-need areas like Manurewa. Frontline groups seek urgent support Jo Coulam, a volunteer with the Saving Hope Foundation, said they were overwhelmed and had seen little change since the council's pilot programme began. The system was not reaching the right whānau early enough and lacked meaningful follow-up, she said. Her team continued to use donations to fund desexing when they could. 'As far as the dog crisis goes, to us nothing has changed,' she said. 'We still see roaming dogs everywhere, and we're still getting calls every day about puppies being born. We've had over probably nearly 300 requests this month alone for us to take people's dogs. 'People are scared their dogs will be taken. They want help, but they're scared because their dog isn't registered or desexed.' A recent event at Rawirit Community House brought dog owners together, providing support, flea treatments, deworming, and information on council-funded desexing, Coulam said. 'We've met thousands of families desperate to have their dogs de-sexed to end the cycle of unwanted puppies,' she said. In one remarkable case, she shared that a dog was finally desexed after having 26 puppies in just seven months. On the pilot programme's efficacy, Coulam said, 'They need to get the people like the people that come to our food drops and our desexing talks, those are the ones you want to get because their dog, while they're not problems yet, they will become problems and they'll become the roamers. 'That's the scale of the problem if you don't act early.' Council outlines comprehensive plan Auckland Council's general manager of licensing and compliance Robert Irvine emphasised the seriousness with which the council treated the issue, especially in high-risk areas like Manurewa. 'Dogs can make wonderful additions to our whānau, but they come with commitments,' he said. 'Desexing is one of the core requirements of responsible dog ownership.' The council had invested about $5 million in additional funding for animal management, he said. This included hiring new staff, implementing public education campaigns, targeted desexing, proactive enforcement, and developing a new animal shelter. The council continued to collaborate with the SPCA and community groups, and advocates for reforms to the Dog Control Act. Desexing vouchers were not available for public application, he said. Instead, officers issued them during engagements or when releasing impounded dogs. He says there was no formal follow-up process for voucher use. 'The focus of this initiative is on support and prevention, not punishment,' he said. 'Our goal is to ensure residents feel safe and supported when accessing services. 'The onus is on the recipient to book and attend the appointment. We've not been made aware of any issues regarding a lack of follow-up.'
Scoop
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown Rejects Dog Task Force Amid Calls From Residents
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has rejected requests to establish a mayoral taskforce on dogs, saying it would duplicate initiatives already in place. The decision comes despite increasing pressure from Manurewa residents, who feel that roaming dogs are making their neighbourhoods unsafe. Brown acknowledged the rising concerns about roaming dogs, especially in South Auckland. But he insisted that the council was addressing the issue through existing programmes. Brown supported the work of the Regulatory and Safety Committee, chaired by Councillor Josephine Bartley and supported Councillor Daniel Newman from Manurewa and the local board. The committee focuses on improving public safety and managing dangerous dogs. Brown and Bartley had also communicated with relevant government ministers, advocating for legislative changes to strengthen enforcement powers. The council's Long-Term Plan has allocated further funding to hire more animal control officers, improve enforcement, trial desexing programmes in high-risk areas, and seek reforms to the Dog Control Act. Brown said a data-led approach to targeting areas in need, including free desexing services in South and West Auckland, was key. He also recognised the Manurewa Local Board's efforts to fund more animal control staff and was looking for ways to expand the capacity of local shelters. Residents report ongoing issues Despite these efforts, Manurewa residents contended that the problem remained unresolved. At a public meeting hosted by MP Arena Williams, several residents shared alarming stories about dangerous, roaming dogs in their streets and parks. Brendan, a concerned resident, recounted, "I was fixing up my boat, and from around the corner a huge dog suddenly advanced on me. Lucky, I was able to drive it back using a rope." Victoria, a local dog owner, was frustrated, and said the issue had forced her to stop walking in her neighbourhood. "I'm afraid to go to my local park. I bought a house here and want to make it my home, but I'm driving to other suburbs to walk my dog. It's holding me back from making friends and putting down roots." Another resident Ryan said response times from the council had worsened. "I've been calling the Council, but response times have gotten worse. I wonder if, after a certain time, traps could be used in problematic places." Williams continued to advocate for a mayoral taskforce on dogs and is working closely with central government. "Central government are holding local government back. They need to legislate for change, fund frontline council services, and back the communities carrying the burden of inaction," she said. She thanked the SPCA, Brown, and Bartley for supporting a new initiative that offers free dog desexing, microchipping, and vaccinations in high-need areas like Manurewa. Frontline groups seek urgent support Jo Coulam, a volunteer with the Saving Hope Foundation, said they were overwhelmed and had seen little change since the council's pilot programme began. The system was not reaching the right whānau early enough and lacked meaningful follow-up, she said. Her team continued to use donations to fund desexing when they could. "As far as the dog crisis goes, to us nothing has changed," she said. "We still see roaming dogs everywhere, and we're still getting calls every day about puppies being born. We've had over probably nearly 300 requests this month alone for us to take people's dogs. "People are scared their dogs will be taken. They want help, but they're scared because their dog isn't registered or desexed." A recent event at Rawirit Community House brought dog owners together, providing support, flea treatments, deworming, and information on council-funded desexing, Coulam said. "We've met thousands of families desperate to have their dogs de-sexed to end the cycle of unwanted puppies," she said. In one remarkable case, she shared that a dog was finally desexed after having 26 puppies in just seven months. On the pilot programme's efficacy, Coulam said, "They need to get the people like the people that come to our food drops and our desexing talks, those are the ones you want to get because their dog, while they're not problems yet, they will become problems and they'll become the roamers. "That's the scale of the problem if you don't act early." Council outlines comprehensive plan Auckland Council's general manager of licensing and compliance Robert Irvine emphasised the seriousness with which the council treated the issue, especially in high-risk areas like Manurewa. "Dogs can make wonderful additions to our whānau, but they come with commitments," he said. "Desexing is one of the core requirements of responsible dog ownership." The council had invested about $5 million in additional funding for animal management, he said. This included hiring new staff, implementing public education campaigns, targeted desexing, proactive enforcement, and developing a new animal shelter. The council continued to collaborate with the SPCA and community groups, and advocates for reforms to the Dog Control Act. Desexing vouchers were not available for public application, he said. Instead, officers issued them during engagements or when releasing impounded dogs. He says there was no formal follow-up process for voucher use. "The focus of this initiative is on support and prevention, not punishment," he said. "Our goal is to ensure residents feel safe and supported when accessing services. "The onus is on the recipient to book and attend the appointment. We've not been made aware of any issues regarding a lack of follow-up."
1News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- 1News
Mayor rejects dog taskforce amid calls for action from residents
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has rejected requests to establish a mayoral taskforce on dogs, saying it would duplicate initiatives already in place. The decision comes despite increased pressure from Manurewa residents, who feel that roaming dogs were making their neighbourhoods unsafe. Brown acknowledged the rising concerns about roaming dogs, especially in South Auckland. But he insisted that the council was addressing the issue through existing programmes. Brown supports the work of the Regulatory and Safety Committee, chaired by Councillor Josephine Bartley and supported Councillor Daniel Newman from Manurewa and the local board. The committee focused on improving public safety and managing dangerous dogs. ADVERTISEMENT Brown and Bartley had also communicated with relevant government ministers, advocating for legislative changes to strengthen enforcement powers. The council's Long-Term Plan has allocated further funding to hire more animal control officers, improve enforcement, trial desexing programmes in high-risk areas, and seek reforms to the Dog Control Act. Brown said a data-led approach to targeting areas in need, including free desexing services in south and west Auckland, is key. He also recognised the Manurewa Local Board's efforts to fund more animal control staff and is looking for ways to expand the capacity of local shelters. Residents report ongoing issues Despite these efforts, Manurewa residents contend that the problem remains unresolved. At a public meeting hosted by MP Arena Williams, several locals shared alarming stories about dangerous, roaming dogs in their streets and parks. Brendan, a concerned resident, recounted, 'I was fixing up my boat, and from around the corner a huge dog suddenly advanced on me. Lucky, I was able to drive it back using a rope." ADVERTISEMENT Victoria, a local dog owner, is frustrated, saying the issue has forced her to stop walking in her neighbourhood. "I'm afraid to go to my local park. I bought a house here and want to make it my home, but I'm driving to other suburbs to walk my dog. It's holding me back from making friends and putting down roots." Another resident Ryan says response times from the council have worsened. "I've been calling the Council, but response times have gotten worse. I wonder if, after a certain time, traps could be used in problematic places." Williams continues to advocate for a mayoral taskforce on dogs and is working closely with central government. "Central Government are holding local Government back. They need to legislate for change, fund frontline Council services, and back the communities carrying the burden of inaction," she said. She also thanked the SPCA, Brown, and Bartley for supporting a new initiative that offers free dog desexing, microchipping, and vaccinations in high-need areas like Manurewa. Auckland Council says desexing is one of the core requirements of responsible dog ownership. (Source: Frontline groups seek urgent support ADVERTISEMENT Jo Coulam, a volunteer with the Saving Hope Foundation, said they were overwhelmed and have seen little change since the council's pilot programme began. She said the system is not reaching the right whānau early enough and lacks meaningful follow-up. Her team continues to use donations to fund desexing when they can. "As far as the dog crisis goes, to us nothing has changed," she said. "We still see roaming dogs everywhere, and we're still getting calls every day about puppies being born. We've had over probably nearly 300 requests this month alone for us to take people's dogs. "People are scared their dogs will be taken. They want help, but they're scared because their dog isn't registered or desexed." Coulam said a recent event at Rawirit Community House brought dog owners together, providing support, flea treatments, deworming, and information on council-funded desexing. "We've met thousands of families desperate to have their dogs de-sexed to end the cycle of unwanted puppies," she said. In one remarkable case, she shared that a dog was finally desexed after having 26 puppies in just seven months. ADVERTISEMENT On the pilot programme's efficacy, Coulam said, 'They need to get the people like the people that come to our food drops and our desexing talks, those are the ones you want to get because their dog, while they're not problems yet, they will become problems and they'll become the roamers. 'That's the scale of the problem if you don't act early.' Council outlines comprehensive plan Auckland Council's General Manager of Licensing and Compliance, Robert Irvine, emphasises the seriousness with which the council treats the issue, especially in high-risk areas like Manurewa. "Dogs can make wonderful additions to our whānau, but they come with commitments," he said. "Desexing is one of the core requirements of responsible dog ownership." He said the council has invested about $5 million in additional funding for animal management. This includes hiring new staff, implementing public education campaigns, targeted desexing, proactive enforcement, and developing a new animal shelter. The council continues to collaborate with the SPCA and community groups, and advocates for reforms to the Dog Control Act. ADVERTISEMENT Irvine said desexing vouchers are not available for public application. Instead, officers issue them during engagements or when releasing impounded dogs. He said there was no formal follow-up process for voucher use. "The focus of this initiative is on support and prevention, not punishment," he said. "Our goal is to ensure residents feel safe and supported when accessing services. "The onus is on the recipient to book and attend the appointment. We've not been made aware of any issues regarding a lack of follow-up." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
Otago Daily Times
05-06-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Dog Rescue gives Alfie new leash of life
Back in the day, Alfie's goose would nearly be cooked by now. The black Labrador-cross was found wandering around Dunedin recently, looking a little worse for wear and without a chip or a tag. Most dogs found wandering around the community get picked up by the Dunedin City Council, and under the Dog Control Act, they are kept for seven days, so their owners can retrieve them. DCC animal services team leader Cazna Savell said council officers also make attempts to find the dog's owner by scanning for a microchip or looking for dog tags. "And if the dog is registered and a first-time wanderer, our officers will first try and return it home. "But if the dog is not registered, or for some reason the microchip isn't scanning properly, and we're unable to find out where the dog has come from, or if it's a regular wanderer, then it will be taken out to our pound while we try and find where the owners have come from." Before 2011, if the officers could not find the owners after seven days, most dogs like Alfie were put down, she said. But since 2011, the DCC and Dog Rescue Dunedin have been working together to find new homes for dogs that are impounded and not claimed. So far, they have been able to re-home about 550 dogs, and Alfie was one of the most recent to have been adopted. Ms Savell said Dog Rescue Dunedin had been "absolutely fantastic". "If we don't have an adoption request directly through to DCC, Dog Rescue Dunedin come and assess the dogs, and they then adopt them and usually find fosterers, so the dogs get to go to homes. "And Dog Rescue Dunedin have just hit the 550 mark, so that's something to really celebrate. "Euthanasia is now a last resort, used only when a dog is assessed as unsafe or unsuitable for re-homing." Dog Rescue Dunedin volunteer Cait Stewart said Alfie was fostered for a while with a young couple that were also fostering a bunch of kittens for Cat Rescue Dunedin. "He fit right in with their crowd and he never left. They adopted him straight from fostering, which is really great." While it was difficult to pinpoint what breed Alfie was, she said he was a "very typical" puppy that you would find at probably any family home. "As for his breed, honestly, your guess is as good as mine. "We think maybe a bit of Lab, maybe greyhound. "At the pound, we call dogs like Alfie a 'pound special' because we can't identify him. "But what we can say is, he's boisterous, he loves to play, he loves his food — and he's a very, very friendly dog."
