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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
‘Holding the cat by the throat’<\/p>\n
For two Hastings cat owners, any change would be too late. But they\u2019re determined to speak up in the hope that a crackdown gains traction.<\/p>\n
Dave Savage, who lives on Avenue Rd, and Leath Forsyth, a Park Road South resident, have both lost their cats to roaming dogs.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, July 12, Forsyth received a panicked call from her adult son Ethan Colquhoun.<\/p>\n
“Mum, a dog\u2019s got your cat,” Colquhoun said.<\/p>\n
He told her he\u2019d heard a commotion on the back porch and went outside to see “a dog running off holding the cat by the throat”.<\/p>\n
“I asked him if Marley was still alive,” Forsyth said.<\/p>\n
“He said I don\u2019t think so.”<\/p>\n
They searched the neighbourhood for hours but never found 13-year-old Marley.<\/p>\n
The attack had “broken our hearts”, she said.<\/p>\n
“She was just sitting on the porch in the sun, a spot she always sits.”<\/p>\n
Their home was near a kindy.<\/p>\n
“This time it might have been a cat, but next time it could be a child.”<\/p>\n
Dave Savage found his 10-year-old ragdoll cat Percy early in the morning on May 13, dead in the driveway.<\/p>\n
“He was just lifeless, lying in a puddle of water, right up the back of the driveway,” Savage said.<\/p>\n
He said his first thought was that Percy had been hit by a car but had managed to get up the driveway.<\/p>\n
But when he checked his CCTV cameras, he discovered that it was dogs that had killed Percy.<\/p>\n
“I couldn\u2019t watch all the footage. I just watched bits near the end.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Savage said he was “pretty upset”.<\/p>\n
“I was gutted that was the reason he died.<\/p>\n
“You can understand an illness or even a pet being hit by a car, that\u2019s an accident.<\/p>\n
“This was purely malicious, and that\u2019s why I felt so angry and helpless. I wasn\u2019t there to help him.”<\/p>\n
Percy and his brother Marlo were his late wife\u2019s cats.<\/p>\n
![\"From](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/from-left-dave-savage-saying-his-final-farewell-to-percy-at-O3COLQ6YVRBY3PVAO2Y64OOXP4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
From left, Dave Savage saying his final farewell to Percy at Vet Services Hastings, where he took him to be cremated after he was killed by two roaming dogs. Percy (left) with his brother Marlo and Marlo on the day Percy died, waiting for his brother. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m speaking up because this is an example of a wider problem that is affecting lots of pet owners in the community.”<\/p>\n
He said roaming dogs were difficult to police, but there had to be accountability when pets were killed.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Forsyth said she felt animal control did not have enough powers to take roaming dogs off the streets at present.<\/p>\n
“They need to be captured using a Taser if need be.<\/p>\n
“If they are not registered, impound them and prosecute the owners.”<\/p>\n
Law changes on the way<\/p>\n
Local Government Minister Simon Watts told Local Democracy roaming and uncontrolled dogs risked the safety of people and pets and could significantly affect communities.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“I encourage Hastings District Council to provide its views when this process opens,” Watts said.<\/p>\n
Watts said officials would consider feedback and provide advice on next steps.<\/p>\n
“My expectation is that this work will help inform policy decisions soon after the election.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n