Cat Killing Spree By Dogs In South Auckland Under Control, Says Council

Fatal attacks by roaming dogs on cats, which left a south
Auckland community grief-stricken, is now said to be under
control.

Residents of Conifer Grove in Takanini
claimed at least 24 felines were killed in the past two
months, by packs of roaming dogs.

The shocking attacks
forced the community to come together in a special public
meeting, crying out to authorities for help.

Proactive
Animal Management team leader Aaron Neary confirmed the
attacks were now under control, with no reports of dog
attacks received to date.

He said 12 dogs in and
around Conifer Grove were uplifted.

“Our thoughts
are with the owners of these beloved pets and we wanted
residents to know we did all that we could to put a stop to
the attacks,” Neary said.

He said because of the
unusually high number of attacks, officers took all possible
steps to address the issue, including twice-daily patrols in
the area.

In March, the Animal Management unit and
Manurewa-Papakura councillor Daniel Newman met with Conifer
Grove residents to hear their concerns.

Arnique
Anahere Toetoe, 17, broke into tears when she spoke of her
family's devastation after finding their beloved cat Boyboy
dead, soaked in blood at the back of their
house.

Another resident Vikram Aggarwal, 65, lost his
14-year-old cat Mattu – the pet’s body found across the
road from his home.

Grace Reily said she alerted
animal management when she saw her cat in a dog’s mouth,
but animal management called back after 10
hours.

Animal Management officers spoke about the
challenges they faced, including difficulties in catching
roaming and aggressive dogs and a lack of firm evidence
identifying the dogs responsible.

Neary said
ultimately, the cause of the attacks was irresponsible dog
ownership.

“Cat attacks, as well as attacks on other
animals, people and wildlife, often occur when dog owners
allow their dog to roam beyond their property.

“The
dog’s sense of its territory can expand to the surrounding
area, increasing the likelihood of aggressive behaviour and
attacks on animals.”

He said dog owners must take
all possible steps to ensure their dogs were kept safe,
secured and contained on their properties and not allowed to
roam.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ
and NZ On
Air.

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