SPCA calls for urgent review of Dog Control Act following fatal Northland dog attack 

The SPCA team is devastated by the news of the recent fatal dog attack in Northland.

“Our thoughts are with the woman’s whānau and the wider community during this incredibly heartbreaking time," says SPCA’s Chief Scientific Officer Dr Arnja Dale.

This tragedy marks the fourth fatal dog attack in four years in New Zealand and the third in Northland. This highlights a deeply concerning pattern that once again raises the need for a systemic, nationwide response rather than reactive measures.

“For far too long we have been warning regulators that New Zealand’s current approach to dog control is not fit for purpose," says Dr Dale.

SPCA is calling for a urgent substantive review of the Dog Control Act 1996, reinstatement of Central Government grants to councils to subsidise desexing of menacing and roaming dogs as an upstream prevention measure, and standardised national guidelines for councils on actions to take following a dog bite incident, incorporating recognised tools such as the Dunbar Bite Scale.

“SPCA was deeply saddened by the news of the fatality,” she says. “This is not an isolated incident, but a fourth fatal dog attack in four years. That tells us we need more than incremental change.”

Dr Dale says preventing serious dog attacks requires a coordinated, multi layered approach.

“There is no single silver bullet,” she says. “Effective prevention relies on strong legislation, consistent enforcement, responsible breeding oversight, desexing, early behavioural intervention and public education. What is needed now is leadership from Central Government and a comprehensive, substantive review of this outdated law.

“Tinkering around the edges or knee jerk reactions following high profile tragedies will not prevent future harm. Reform must be carefully considered, evidence based and focused on prevention.”

The fatal mauling is the latest in a series of grave incidents that highlight persistent gaps in prevention, early intervention and nationally consistent practice. The Dog Control Act 1996, now 30 years old, is increasingly out of step with contemporary behavioural science and modern prevention approaches.

SPCA has been engaging with successive ministers since 2015, consistently calling for a substantive, evidence based review of the Act. The organisation wrote again to the minister on Wednesday morning, requesting a meeting to discuss how meaningful reform can finally be progressed.

While SPCA welcomes the Department of Internal Affairs’ work to update operational guidance for councils, the organisation stresses that guidance alone cannot resolve the structural weaknesses embedded in the primary legislation.

These challenges reflect structural limitations within the current legislative framework, including variability in how serious dog attacks are managed across the country, limited statutory direction on stepped, behaviour based risk assessment, continued reliance on breed specific provisions that are not supported by scientific evidence, and fragmented national data collection on dog bite incidents.

Public concern is further reflected in two parliamentary petitions currently before a Select Committee calling for modernisation of the legislation.

Dr Dale says the organisation remains committed to working constructively with Government and key stakeholders such as local Councils who are responsible for enforcing the Dog Control Act and the National Multi-sectoral Dog Bite Prevention Group to ensure New Zealand has a modern, effective framework that prioritises community safety and animal welfare.

“We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy before meaningful reform is undertaken,” Dr Dale says.