900 unclaimed dogs ordered to be destroyed

Nearly half of all dogs impounded in Rotorua have to be destroyed because their owners never collect them.

A whopping 900 dogs were put down at the city's pound last year - that was nearly half, or 45 per cent, of the more than 2000 dogs impounded.

Rotorua has one of the highest rates of dog destruction in the country. Latest figures released for 2008 show there were 2128 dogs impounded by the Auckland City Council with 629 (29 per cent) destroyed. In Christchurch, 1657 were impounded and 266 (16 per cent) destroyed, while Invercargill City Council impounded 500 dogs and destroyed 250 (50 per cent).

Rotorua animal control supervisor Kevin Coutts, who has had to have thousands of dogs put down since he began the job, said only a few were destroyed because they were dangerous. Most had to be put down because their owners either couldn't afford them or had simply not bothered to claim them.

"People either just don't care or they are irresponsible dog owners," he said.

"If they can't afford to get their dog out of the pound, then they can't afford to have a dog in the first place."

Destroying dogs was a part of his job he hated, said Mr Coutts, a former police dog handler.

All dogs at the dog pound were humanely put down, then buried.

"I hate it - but if people don't pick them up, what other choice do we have?

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