The troubling trend hidden in Auckland’s dog-attack figures

Dog attacks across Auckland have fallen for the first time in six years, but the number of children being mauled continues to rise.

The latest council figures reveal nearly 300 dogs were put down after attacks or rushing incidents, while thousands of owners were fined for failing to control their pets.

Auckland Council’s Animal Management Annual Report shows 246 children aged 15 and under were attacked by dogs during the 2025/26 financial year, up nearly 8% on the previous year.

Dog attacks across Auckland have fallen for the first time in six years, according to Auckland Council's latest figures. Photo / Michael Craig

Regulatory and Safety Committee chairwoman Josephine Bartley said the figures represented real harm to Auckland families.

“Behind those numbers are some horrific injuries, many of them on children that will leave lifelong scars.”

She said animal management officers faced an uphill battle unless more owners took responsibility for their dogs.

Dog attacks fall for first time in six years

The rise in attacks on children comes despite improvement across the city, with reported dog attacks falling for the first time since 2019/20.

Council officers investigated 2722 attacks, down 5% from the previous year.

Of those, 1222 involved people and 1500 involved other animals.

Attacks on adults fell by more than 12%, while those involving children increased.

The report also said 255 dogs were put down after attacks, compared with 290.

Another 35 were euthanised after rushing at people or animals.

More than 700 dogs were seized and taken to council shelters after attacks, while officers responded to nearly 3500 reports of aggressive behaviour, a 10% drop on the previous year.

Pit bull terriers were the most commonly impounded breed after attacks, with 161 taken to shelters.

The number of Staffordshire bull terriers impounded after attacks rose from 105 to 146, while American Staffordshire terriers increased from 46 to 82.

Henderson-Massey overtook Manurewa as the Auckland local board area with the most reported dog attacks, recording 297 incidents over the year.

That was an 18% increase from the year before, when 251 were reported in the area.

Meanwhile, the number in Manurewa dropped from 308 to 268 attacks.

Recent Herald reporting revealed a Mt Albert mother was considering moving her family after three frightening dog encounters in less than a month, including one that left her teenage son with puncture wounds.

In another incident, 83-year-old Mike Smith was left with deep bites and scratches after being attacked by two dogs tethered to a chair while walking in Huapai, West Auckland.

Two dogs tethered to a chair attacked an elderly man in Huapai, leaving him with multiple bite wounds.

Smith, who faced a long recovery, said he felt “lucky to be alive” after the attack.

The report also revealed a significant reduction in complaints about roaming dogs, with Auckland Council receiving 12,592 reports, down nearly 25% from 16,739 the previous year.

Requests for officers to collect stray dogs that members of the public had caught or contained also dropped from 5223 to 4090.

Reports of roaming dogs and requests to collect strays made up more than 60% of all calls for help received by the council’s animal management team.

The number of dogs taken to shelters after being found on private property without permission increased from 97 to 109.

Staffordshire bull terriers were the most common breed picked up for roaming, with 1203 dogs, down from 1767 a year earlier.

Pit bull terriers followed with 786, down from 1288, while Shar Peis accounted for 382 and Labrador retrievers 378.

The council also responded to 537 reports of wandering farm animals on public roads and motorways, down from 710 the previous year.

Meanwhile, thousands more fines were issued to dog owners who failed to keep their animals under control.

Fines for failing to control a dog jumped nearly 69%, from 2064 to 3486.

Another 967 fines were issued to owners who failed to keep their dogs properly secured or contained, more than double the 373 issued the year prior.

The number of roaming dog complaints across Auckland dropped by nearly 25% in the past year. Photo / Michael Craig

A further 468 fines were issued to owners who failed to follow rules for dogs officially classified as menacing.

Fines for failing to register a dog fell from 10,149 to 9849.

The council also began 134 prosecutions in the District Court for serious dog control offences, the same number as the previous year.

Council steps up dog control efforts

Animal management officers carried out 13,672 patrols, inspections and checks to ensure owners were following the rules, a 65.5% increase from 8259 in the year prior.

Auckland Council’s head of animal management Elly Waitoa said the figures showed early signs that efforts to reduce dog attacks were working.

“Over the past two years we’ve significantly increased proactive patrols, community education, engagement programmes and compliance action against irresponsible owners.”

Auckland Council animal management manager Elly Waitoa at the Manukau dog shelter. Photo / Michael Craig

She said the council had also desexed more than 1700 dogs through its free clinic, with another 300 desexed through a partnership with the SPCA.

Waitoa said the council was also seeking amendments to the 30-year-old Dog Control Act.

“We have been pushing hard for the changes that are desperately needed to give councils better tools to more effectively manage irresponsible dog ownership.”

Rachel Maher is the education correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. She also covers other topics such as Auckland issues, crime and local government. She started at the Herald as a breaking news journalist in 2022, before joining the Auckland team this year.