Photo: 123rf
Auckland dog walkers are split on a council proposal that would limit the number of dogs they can walk at once.
One business owner says the rules are unnecessary and overly strict, but another says they do not go far enough.
The proposal would limit walkers to six dogs at a time, including three off-leash.
Whitford resident Barbara Wright - whose terrier was fatally injured by a trio of off-leash dogs last year - thought the proposal was too lenient.
"I think it's really soft. After all, when I go back to what happened with my dog, it was three off-leash dogs that actually killed my dog," she said.
"There was 14 in total, but three off-leash that got my dog. I think it's just asking for trouble. I think there should be a maximum of three dogs on-leash to each person."
She said any more than that was too much for one person to handle.
"A lot of people who walk dogs are women. If you look at me, I'm five foot two, and if you have a big dog, I've got a Jack Russell, and he will pull me if he sees something like a duck or a rabbit, he'll pull me to get that rabbit," Wright said.
"How can you have a huge dog be walked by one person? You can't."
Wright said the proposal seemed weak to someone still grappling with the loss of her beloved dog.
"It's too little too late, and for me, it's nearly [been] a year, and I'm the one who's still suffering. It's not good enough," she said.
"It's completely soft, and it will happen again. Incidents are going to continue to happen. I just do not know why the law is not coming in stricter and faster."
The proposal would also introduce new off-leash areas at some parks, and forbid dogs from others.
Councillor Josephine Bartley, who chaired the council's Regulatory and Safety Committee, said it was a response to public concern.
"This is part of the regular review of bylaws and policies every few years by council," she said.
"One of the emerging issues people have been raising is the number of dogs being walked by dog walkers."
Professional dog-walker and Sticks and Bones owner Amanda Easterbrook said she supported the proposal, but agreed the limits should be stricter.
"I do think that six is still too high. I think four is probably a more appropriate number for any individual," Easterbrook said.
"The risk is the environment, and that usually is other people and their dogs, or other small animals, or children, or motor vehicles that backfire, or trucks, or anything that can startle dogs, because that's generally when things go badly with dogs."
She said dog walking was a young industry that needed higher standards and stronger regulations.
"It was an emerging industry 10 years ago when I started in it. I would still describe it as a fledgling industry. There's lots of room for improvement," she said.
"Ultimately, dogs are a living animal, and you've got to be able to control them when you take them out into public places. The consequences are dire when things go wrong with dogs."
Fetch Dog Walking owner Andy Evans disagreed. He said his staff could walk seven or eight dogs at a time without issue.
"I've seen dog walkers able to walk up to 15 dogs competently. Reducing the number of dogs that dog walkers can walk in Auckland City will take the opportunity of Auckland dog owners having the dogs out and socialised away from them."
He said the council's limit would make it harder to do business.
"It's very hard to have a business where you're looking at only six dogs in the pack. Just the numbers don't stack up with the current pricing."
But Easterbrook said businesses like hers did not need to walk so many dogs at once to stay profitable.
"Obviously, the council have taken consultation, and they're trying to recognise that there are people that make a living out of this, and it's their livelihood," she said.
"But 80 percent of what we do is one-on-one leashed walks, and I've got a very viable business. If I've got a viable business doing that, then others could do the same."
Easterbrook had already made a submission on the council's proposal calling for the limit to be reduced to four dogs at a time instead of six.
Evans also planned to make a submission before consultation closed on 23 February.
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