A Waihī man has raised concerns about roaming dogs, saying walkers are increasingly being menaced by off-leash animals.
Wayne Griffiths has lived in Waihī for four years, and goes on daily walks with his wife. But in the past few months, it’s become a dangerous pastime, he told The Profile.
“The wife has been attacked four times,” Wayne said.
“They haven’t drawn blood yet, but they’ve knocked her to the ground. One of the dogs… tried to drag her off the footpath – it was lucky that she had a loose-fitting jacket. It actually jumped over a fence, grabbed hold of her clothes, and then tried to pull her back towards the property.”
In another incident, Wayne said his wife was cornered in the Victoria Park public toilets.
“Somebody decided to let their dog go in – [it] started barking and growling at her so she had to lock herself in one of the cubicles. And the owner of the dog didn’t seem to think there was a problem with that.”
Wayne said there needed to be more accountability for inconsiderate dog owners, and thought it would only be a matter of time before someone was seriously injured.
“There’s no consideration. It’s just ignorance and arrogance… We’ve just had a gutsful.”
His comments come in the wake of similar issues in Northland, where a woman was recently mauled to death by a pack of roaming dogs.
Mihiata Te Rore’s death in Kaihu on February 17 prompted nationwide calls for improved dog control enforcement guidelines.
Local government minister Simon Watts told 1News the Department of Internal Affairs was working on updated guidelines expected to be issued by the third quarter of 2026.
Wayne said he was aware of other people in Waihī, many of them elderly, who also had concerns.
“We’ve had a bit of a conversation with five elderly ladies with their small dogs, and they’re carrying these aluminium walking sticks,” he said.
“Their sole reason for those walking sticks is to fend dogs off that are not on leashes or are not in control of the owners. One of the ladies has actually had a dog attacked and had to be put down, by a dog that was unleashed.”
Wayne said there were also places where fed-up people painted reminders about dog laws, to discourage irresponsible behaviour.
Meanwhile, social media shows multiple posts about roaming dogs in Waihī over the last few months.
“Two dogs down river, no collar or leads,” read one post; “dogs on [the] street, owners please come and get them they are circling my property,” read another.
Many of the posts referenced cats which had been injured or mauled to death by loose dogs.
Hauraki District Council said it received 57 complaints about roaming dogs and dog-related incidents in the Waihī Ward between November 1 and January 31.
Twelve of the incidents involved dogs attacking other animals, and one involved a dog attacking a person.
Council said the roaming dogs were of various breeds and sizes, but none were classified as menacing or dangerous.
Following the incidents, the dog that attacked a person was euthanised; eight dogs were impounded; seven were returned to their owners after registration and fees were completed; and one dog, which was not collected, is being considered for adoption.
A council spokesperson said dog owners were expected to keep their animals on a leash in all public places, except for designated dog exercise areas. Dogs must also be under continuous control.
“Council encourages anyone experiencing problems with dogs to report them,” the spokesperson said.
“Every dog-related complaint reported to council is fully investigated. Action is taken in line with the Dog control Act 1996 and depends on the severity of the incident and whether the owner has previous offences.”
Meanwhile, Wayne is still taking regular walks, and said he had taken it upon himself to make a stand against irresponsible dog owners, saying he’s now on a “first-name basis” with local animal rangers.
“We’ve had a few altercations where dogs were attacking other dogs… So I’ve gone to their rescue, and then I’ve been accused [and insulted],” he said.
“And you don’t want to keep having a confrontation with them.
“But when they walk towards us the wife is in fear because the dogs [keep] attacking her.
“And she’s got a human right to walk around the same areas. You shouldn’t have to walk around armed to the teeth just to go for a general walk around the village.”
