Proposed cat control bylaw backed by national pet advocacy group

• Published date: 03 October 2024
• Author: Mike Dinsdale
• Publication title: Northland Age, The

Companion Animals New Zealand (CANZ) is excited to see a growing trend of local and district councils introducing bylaws requiring the desexing, microchipping, and registration of cats

FNDC is the most recent proposing mandatory “chipping and snipping” in a bylaw, which is open for submissions until November 1.

The council voted last month to implement a new animal control bylaw after its previous one was automatically revoked in 2019 as the council had not voted in a new one.

The new bylaw, if adopted, would introduce a keeping of cats section for the first time, that council staff say will likely “generate considerable interest and views may deeply divide the community”.

Under the proposed bylaw Far North cat owners will have to microchip their pets and desex them.

Cat control has long been an issue in the Far North with a number of programmes set up over...