Two roaming dogs snatched a 13-year-old cat named Marley from a porch in Hastings on Saturday, July 12, while a separate pair of roaming dogs fatally mauled a 10-year-old ragdoll cat named Percy in his driveway two months earlier on May 13, according to local reports. The incidents have prompted Hastings District Council to call for stricter Government laws as officials handle an average of 1,300 roaming dog calls every year.
Hastings Dog Control Pressures And Call Volumes
Hastings District Council dog control officers respond to about 1,300 calls a year about dogs roaming the streets, which equates to 25 calls a week, according to council data. Social media groups in the city frequently share photos and videos of dogs entering private properties at night, alongside posts from owners searching for missing pets. Council regulatory solutions manager John Payne stated that stronger consequences could benefit Animal Control operations when owners repeatedly allow dogs to roam, ignore previous warnings, or result in attacks. Currently, owners of dogs that attack domestic animals face fines of up to $3,000, while attacks causing serious injury to people or protected wildlife carry fines up to $20,000, up to three years in prison, and liability for damages, according to council figures.
Cat Owners Demand Accountability After Fatal Attacks
For local pet owners Dave Savage and Leath Forsyth, legislative changes cannot undo the loss of their pets. On July 12, Forsyth received a phone call from her adult son, Ethan Colquhoun, who heard a commotion on the back porch and saw a dog running off holding Marley by the throat. Search efforts yielded no trace of the 13-year-old cat. Across town on May 13, Savage discovered his 10-year-old cat Percy lifeless in a puddle of water at the back of his driveway. Home CCTV footage later revealed two dogs surrounding Percy as he lifted his head to hiss in defense. Savage noted that while pet illnesses or car accidents are understandable accidents, a dog attack is purely malicious. Forsyth and Savage are speaking out to demand harsher penalties, suggesting that animal control officers need broader powers, including the potential use of tasers, and that unidentified or unregistered offending animals should be impounded and their owners prosecuted.
Government Response And Upcoming Act Review
Local Government Minister Simon Watts acknowledged that roaming and uncontrolled dogs pose risks to the safety of people and pets. Watts stated that the harm caused by these animals is unacceptable, pointing to the Government’s announcement earlier in the year to review the Dog Control Act following several horrific attacks across New Zealand. Officials are preparing an issues paper for public consultation scheduled for October 2026, which will give councils and stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback on local dog control concerns and repeat offending. Watts indicated that this feedback will help inform policy decisions soon after the election. Meanwhile, Payne emphasized that any new powers must be practical for officers, supported by clear evidential rules, and paired with clearer regulations requiring owners to improve containment and fencing.
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