Overhauled Dog Control Act to be 'in place next year'

An updated Dog Control Act should be in place by next year, Local Government Minister Simon Watts says.

On Wednesday he released guidelines which replace the guidance developed in 2009 and supplemented in 2015.

They were intended to help councils make full use of the tools currently available to them, promote responsible dog ownership and respond effectively when problems arose, Watts said,

Too many Kiwis had been victims of dog attacks, "and we've even had loss of life", he said.

Councils told to record more consistent data to tackle roaming dogs

"We're aiming to have our recommendations to enable us to take steps to legislate by the end of this year, and have that law in place next year."

The guidelines also included standardised reporting across councils to "improve data collection", Watts added.

"Better information will help build a clearer picture of dog control issues across New Zealand and support better decision-making."

Watts said standardised reporting was needed to guide the Dog Control Act, as it was difficult to review and change the legislation without it, but it was not yet mandatory.

"The consideration around the mandatory nature of whether this will be required formally will be something that we're considering through the legislation review that we're undertaking at the moment."

ACC recorded more than 14,000 claims related to dog bites and attacks in 2025.

"Whether stronger penalties for irresponsible owners are necessary, or more powers for council officers to deal with threatening animals - all options are on the table as we look to strengthen dog control laws to keep communities safe," Watts said.