On a sunny Saturday afternoon in Hastings, Marley the cat was snatched from her porch and carried off in the mouth of a roaming dog.
By Linda Hall for Local Democracy Reporting
Across town, Percy the cat’s owner watched his home CCTV in horror as two roaming dogs fatally mauled him in his driveway.
Two incidents, two days, one city.
Hastings District Council dog control officers say they’re doing their best to crack down on roaming dogs.
But they want stricter, clearer Government laws to empower them to respond as soon as possible, and in the best way possible.
On average, Hastings council responds to about 1300 calls a year about dogs roaming the streets - 25 a week.
Social media groups in the city are regularly updated with photos and videos of dogs entering people’s property in the dead of night, and owners looking for their dogs or missing cats.
In March, the Government announced a review of the Dog Control Act, following several horrific attacks around New Zealand involving roaming dogs.
Council regulatory solutions manager John Payne said he would like to see rules that put greater responsibility on dog owners to keep their animals under control.
"Stronger consequences could be useful for Animal Control operations where an owner repeatedly allows a dog to roam, fails to comply with previous warnings or infringements, or where poor control results in an attack," Payne said.
'Holding the cat by the throat'
For two Hastings cat owners, any change would be too late. But they’re determined to speak up in the hope that a crackdown gains traction.
Dave Savage, who lives on Avenue Rd, and Leath Forsyth, a Park Road South resident, have both lost their cats to roaming dogs.
On Saturday, July 12, Forsyth received a panicked call from her adult son Ethan Colquhoun.
"Mum, a dog’s got your cat," Colquhoun said.
He told her he’d heard a commotion on the back porch and went outside to see "a dog running off holding the cat by the throat".
"I asked him if Marley was still alive," Forsyth said.
"He said I don’t think so."
They searched the neighbourhood for hours but never found 13-year-old Marley.
The attack had "broken our hearts", she said.
"She was just sitting on the porch in the sun, a spot she always sits."
Their home was near a kindy.
"This time it might have been a cat, but next time it could be a child."
Dave Savage found his 10-year-old ragdoll cat Percy early in the morning on May 13, dead in the driveway.
"He was just lifeless, lying in a puddle of water, right up the back of the driveway," Savage said.
He said his first thought was that Percy had been hit by a car but had managed to get up the driveway.
But when he checked his CCTV cameras, he discovered that it was dogs that had killed Percy.
"I couldn’t watch all the footage. I just watched bits near the end.
"Percy was lying on the ground with two dogs around him. He mustered enough energy to lift his head and let out a hiss of defence."
Savage said he was "pretty upset".
"I was gutted that was the reason he died.
"You can understand an illness or even a pet being hit by a car, that’s an accident.
"This was purely malicious, and that’s why I felt so angry and helpless. I wasn’t there to help him."
Percy and his brother Marlo were his late wife’s cats.
"I’m speaking up because this is an example of a wider problem that is affecting lots of pet owners in the community."
He said roaming dogs were difficult to police, but there had to be accountability when pets were killed.
"If the offending animals are caught and their owners identified, the owners should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, or under any law established to address these incidents."
Forsyth said she felt animal control did not have enough powers to take roaming dogs off the streets at present.
"They need to be captured using a Taser if need be.
"If they are not registered, impound them and prosecute the owners."
Law changes on the way
Local Government Minister Simon Watts told Local Democracy roaming and uncontrolled dogs risked the safety of people and pets and could significantly affect communities.
"The harm caused by roaming and uncontrolled dogs is unacceptable, which is why the Government announced the review of the Dog Control Act earlier this year," Watts said.
He said officials were preparing an issues paper for consultation in October 2026, giving councils and stakeholders the chance to share their views on local dog control concerns, including repeat offending.
"I encourage Hastings District Council to provide its views when this process opens," Watts said.
Watts said officials would consider feedback and provide advice on next steps.
"My expectation is that this work will help inform policy decisions soon after the election."
Payne said whatever powers were introduced, they needed to be practical for officers to use, supported by clear evidential requirements, and balanced with appropriate rights for dog owners.
Currently, owners of dogs that attack domestic animals can be fined up to $3000, while attacks causing serious injury to people or protected wildlife can result in fines of up to $20,000, up to three years in prison, and liability for damages.
Council wants clearer rules
Payne said the enforcement action in individual cases depended on the evidence and circumstances, including establishing the identity of the dog and owner.
"Animal Control officers do not carry Tasers. Their focus is on safely containing and controlling dogs using the training and animal-control equipment available to them," he said.
He said the council recorded dog registrations, complaints, incidents, enforcement actions, and impounding information through its operational systems, and a range of information as part of its statutory dog-control reporting.
"A nationally consistent framework could make that information more useful by ensuring councils are recording and categorising incidents in the same way."
Payne said they would also like to see clearer rules requiring owners to improve fencing or containment, and quicker escalation where an owner repeatedly fails to comply.
VetsOne veterinary nurse Catherine Leijen said although they hadn’t seen an increase in animals attacked by dogs in Hastings, "sometimes we don’t see these cases as the animal that was attacked did not survive".
She said victims of dog attacks could have injuries including bite wounds, abscesses, degloving or crush injuries, pneumothorax (collapsed lung), fractures and other trauma.
"In extreme cases, there can be an amputation or partial amputation. Needless to say, injuries to cats/small dogs from larger dogs can be catastrophic and at times fatal," Leijen said.
She said some dogs had a naturally high prey drive, no matter what the season.
"This is an instinctive behaviour that can be challenging to train away.
"But there are practical steps owners can take to help reduce the risk, including secure fencing, keeping dogs on a lead and under control when out walking, and ensuring they are safely contained when unsupervised."
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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