Another change in dog pound plans
The Far North District Council is to build additional kennels at its existing dog shelter in Kaitaia to ensure it continues to adhere to the Animal Welfare Act, Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Regulations and the Code of Welfare for dogs.
That decision was made on August 29, following a resolution in June to review plans to build new shelters at Kaitaia and Nga¯wha¯ when cost estimates significantly exceeded the budget.
A report presented to councillors, in public exclusion, on August 29 made several recommendations, including that construction of new facilities at Kaitaia and Nga¯wha¯ should proceed.
Councillors resolved, however, to approve the construction of 24 kennels adjacent to the existing shelter outside Kaitaia, and asked the CEO to reexamine the location of a new southern animal care facility at Nga¯ wha¯ .
A new report will be presented to the council on October 3, that final meeting of the current council before the elections.
Meanwhile, the council has defended its discussing the dog pounds in committee on the grounds of commercial sensitivity, following criticism from inside and outside the council.
Councillor Dave Hookway demanded to know what was so commercially sensitive, given that information about the budget was publicly available in the council’s 2018/19 annual report. Chief executive Shaun Clarke said the report was “laden with commercial sensitivities”. The budget had changed since the last annual plan, and it was important that those thinking of tendering for the project did not know exactly how much had been budgeted.
“We’d be in a lot more trouble by releasing it than not. If anyone sees these numbers they’ll tender right to the limit. We can’t afford for that to happen,” Mr Clarke said.
Meanwhile, Leonie Exel (Bay of Islands Watchdogs) was unimpressed with the latest development, saying it was the kind of decision the group had come to expect from public exclusion.
The Kaitaia pound would not meet even minimum standards in the Temporary Housing for Companion Animals: Code of Welfare 2018, she said, and, due to its proximity to sewage ponds, could not be opened to the public, which meant fewer dogs would be rehomed.
Annette Inglis, a member of the Watchdogs’ pound working group, said the council needed to realise the days of staff “popping in” to feed animals in a “dog jail” were over, and must start treating animals with compassion, as the law demanded.
The original plan had been to have both facilities completed by June this year.