FAQs

The Dog Control Policy and Bylaw help manage dogs in Hutt City. Their goal help promote dog welfare, highlight the rules around dog ownership, provide for dog exercise and prohibition areas, and to help avoid nuisance from dogs to the community. The Bylaw covers things like dog exercise areas and prohibition zones, controlling dogs in public, limiting the number of dogs per property, and setting accommodation standards. You can learn more about Council’s authority to make a Dog Control Bylaw in the Dog Control Act 1996, and our requirement to have a Dog Control Policy in the Act here.

Both the Policy and the Bylaw are legislatively required to be reviewed every ten years. They were conjointly reviewed in 2015 and are now due for review again. Council will run the review of both the Bylaw and Policy conjointly again to help save money and improve efficiency. 

In 2024, Council made changes to prohibition areas to meet the consent conditions for Tupua Horo Nuku (the Eastern Bays Shared Pathway). Now, as part of a required 10-year review cycle, the whole Dog Control Bylaw and Policy are being reviewed together. 

As part of these reviews, Council wants community insight to help guide decision making. This pre-engagement is one of the first steps in the review process. The results of pre-engagement will be used to help guide proposed changes which will then be used to formally consult the community. Officers will then report to Elected Members with proposed changes in March 2025 before undertaking formal public consultation in March and April 2025. A Subcommittee hearing, where the community will have an opportunity to speak, will take place in May 2025 before Elected Members make a final decision in July 2025. 

Complete the survey to share your thoughts. This feedback will help to shape the proposed changes. There will be another chance to give written feedback in March-April 2025, and you can speak at the Subcommittee hearing in May 2025. 

Complete the survey here.