18 December 2018

Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Missing/stolen dog

Enquiry

I'm writing a story today on the Chrisohoou's family dog going missing from their Edmund Rd home.

It is suspected the dog has been stolen, as a witness saw a man with the dog not long after.

It is a purebred pitbull (I believe but yet to interview them) and is a loved family pet.

They are legitimate dog owners/breeders and the parents and their four young daughters are devastated this has happened just before Christmas.

I'm seeking some comment from the council about whether stolen dogs are a common problem, from reading the comments on Facebook it appears it's becoming more frequent.

I'm not sure if you keep records of this, as it's probably more a police complaint, but your Animal Control people might be able to anecdotally let me know if they come across people who suspect their dogs have been stolen and what tips they can share to ensure your prize pets are safe.

Also, if it's possible to get some stats, if you have them handy, on the number of reported lost dogs in general this year

Response

From Animal Control Team Leader Dylan Wright:

Reports of lost dogs is one of the common Animal Control related calls our team deal with on a daily basis. Quite often people who suspect their dogs have been stolen will find that their dogs have either gotten out of their property or been accidentally let out by someone visiting the house. Most dogs return to their owners within a short time, are found by neighbours and reunited with their owners or are picked up by one of the Animal Control team.

Since 1 January 2018 10 dogs in our system have been listed as stolen'. There have also been occasions where officers have attended properties to assess complaints and come across dogs that have been reported as stolen (the number of these instances is not recorded).

This serves as a timely reminder to owners to ensure their dogs are microchipped. Having a microchip that is registered with a council means that any dog can be identified and linked to the rightful owner. Unlike registration tags which can be removed, microchips are extremely difficult to take out and are linked to the National Dog Database which can be accessed from anywhere in the country. Currently 98% of the dogs on the Rotorua Lakes Council system are microchipped.

We also want to encourage people to contact Council if they find a dog they suspect is lost or stolen. We often see people sharing posts on Facebook about found dogs however not everyone has access to social media. Our officers can scan dogs for microchips and reunite them with their owners straight away.

- We had 311 reports of lost dogs to our Afterhours service from 1 January 2018 to date. We do not record lost dog reports during normal business hours as our Customer Advisors try to resolve the issue (i.e. check with the pound) while they are on the phone with the owner.

Tips to ensure your dog is safe and happy this summer:

• Make sure your dog is microchipped and that your contact details are up to date with the local Council. If you can't make it out to the pound to have your dog chipped you can make an appointment for an officer to visit your property. The current fee to microchip a dog is $25.00
• If you find a dog phone Council on 07 348 4199. An Officer will attend and scan the dog and work to reunite it with its owner as soon as possible.
• Check your fences to ensure there are no gaps or holes where dogs can get through.
• Think about where on the property you keep your dog.
• If your dog goes missing, report it to Council so we can update our database. This also means our Animal Control Officers can keep an eye out for your dog while they are out and about.

General summer safety tips for your dog:

• Make sure your dog has adequate shelter/shade and access to plenty of fresh water.
• Know the correct places for off-lead exercise and where you can and can't take your dog. Click HERE to view the dog exercise area brochure.
• If you're going away make sure you have organised someone to look after your dog.
• Some dogs need sunscreen just like humans. Apply special dog sunscreen to ears and noses

Walk your dog at an appropriate time of the day so it doesn't overheat or become dehydrated.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Marketview data re October spending in Rotorua

Enquiry

Enquiry to Destination Rotorua:

I'm working on a story for the Rotorua Daily Post based on Marketview data for October spending in Rotorua.

The figures show a 9 percent increase from October 2017, and a 14.6 percent increase from October 2016.

Hoping you might be able to provide some comment in regard to the increase in spending and the reasoning behind it. Happy to call if that is easier.

MarketView report stated:

Rotorua: Spending at retailers in Rotorua District for October 2018 was $92.9m dollars. This was a 9.0% increase in October 2017, and a 14.6% increase over 2016. Card spending in Food and Liquor (excluding hospitality) for October 2018 was $33.9m, up 3.9% over the previous year. Hardware and Homeware spending for October was $5.6m, up 15.8% over the previous year.

Response

Destination Rotorua provided the following comment:

Increasing retail spend is another good sign of Rotorua's strong economy. We've got a growing population with 800 new residents moving here in the past 12 months and CBD occupancy is at its highest level since 2010. We also know that visitor spend in Rotorua continues to increase, so all of these factors will be contributing to the overall retail spend.

This positive momentum is great news for Rotorua as it helps to build investor confidence, encouraging existing businesses to reinvest and attracting new businesses to the city.