Auckland’s favourite dog names, rarest breeds, revealed

Stand in an Auckland dog park and yell “Bella” or Charlie”, and there’s a good chance a furry friend or three (or more!) will come running. 

That’s because the two names have once again topped the list of Auckland's 10 most popular dog names, as revealed in the newly released 2022-2023 Animal Management Annual Report. 

The rankings are much the same as last year, but with Bear and Nala nudging out Ollie and Lola for the 10th most-popular male and female names, respectively. 

Top 10 most popular dog names:

 

The report also highlights some of the region’s most interesting dog names. "Thor, God of Barking and Destroyer of Toys" gets a mention, as does "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." 

And while Labrador Retrievers are still the most popular pooch by a golden mile, the report shows Tāmaki Makaurau is home to some much rarer breeds. If you’re the proud owner of a Tree Walker Coon Hound, Icelandic Sheepdog or Great Swiss Mountain Dog, congratulations — they are the only canines of their kind in the region.  

Rarest dog breeds in Auckland

Increasing aggression and attacks

The Annual Report also highlights some more serious statistics, including a rising dog population and increased reports of dog aggression, roaming dogs and dog attacks in the region. 

Manager of Animal Management Elly Waitoa says a 28 per cent increase in reported dog attacks is particularly concerning. 

“There were 250 more attacks on people and 280 more attacks on other animals reported this financial year. However, we know by looking at data from ACC that only about 20 per cent of dog bites are reported to the council.

“These numbers are really worrying, especially when you consider that dogs who have attacked once are more likely to attack again unless sufficient interventions are put in place.”

Reports of dog attacks, roaming dogs and aggression in Tāmaki Makaurau have been increasing steadily since 2020, with the effects of COVID-19 believed to be a contributing factor. 

“Lots of people were getting puppies while they were at home during lockdown, but because of restrictions in place, vets weren’t able to perform de-sexing and dogs weren’t able to be adequately socialised.  

“Now these puppies are dogs and their owners have gone back to work, meaning there are more dogs in homes and out on the streets behaving undesirably,” says Elly 

Increased pressure on staff - 33,301 call outs!

Animal Management staff respond to and investigate all reports of dog attacks and aggression in Tāmaki Makaurau, as well as performing proactive patrols on popular beaches and parks, property visits, and registration checks throughout the year.

Between June 2022 and June 2023, field officer teams responded to 33,301 requests for service (RFS) — 34 per cent more than the previous year. Despite these RFS taking up increasing staff resources, the teams were also able to increase their proactive work this year and conduct 6,913 patrols and checks. 

“Our staff are working tirelessly to keep Aucklanders safe and to care for the dogs who come through our shelters, but there is a limit to what we can do. We really need help from the community if we’re going to get on top of this issue and start seeing those numbers come down.” 

Dog owners must step up 

Regulatory and Safety Committee Chair Councillor Josephine Bartley says it’s the responsibility of dog owners to keep their pets off the streets and out of the council’s shelters. 

“Dog numbers are out of control in Tāmaki Makaurau and our shelters can’t keep up with the demand. We need people to be more responsible, starting with thinking carefully before even getting a dog about whether they can give it a home for life.” 

In addition to keeping dogs contained and under control at all times, she says one of the most important things dog owners can do is de-sex their pets. 

“Not only does de-sexing help reduce the number of unwanted puppies, but de-sexed dogs are less likely to be aggressive and are less likely to roam. Unsurprisingly, about 80 per cent of the dogs that come into the council’s shelters are not de-sexed.” 

What we’ve achieved 

Despite ongoing challenges related to rising dog numbers and increasing dog aggression, the Animal Management unit has plenty to be proud of.

Teams worked hard to assist the community during the storm events earlier in the year, receiving and distributing donations of dog food, providing free board to flood-affected pets and putting on free grooming, registration and microchipping events for those most affected. 

The unit also held a number of community registration, de-sexing and microchipping drives throughout the year, as well as education events to increase dog safety awareness. This included dog safety sessions with at-risk frontline staff of other organisations such as NZ Police, Kāinga Ora, Census NZ and Oranga Tamariki. 

Several adoption drives and shelter open days were organised to raise awareness of the dogs in the shelters that are available for adoption, with a total of 382 dogs adopted from our shelters or transferred to rescue organisations.

Councillor thanks staff 

Cr Bartley congratulates the Animal Management unit on their wins and thanks them for their mahi to keep Aucklanders safe. 

“I believe our Animal Management staff have some of the toughest jobs out there. They face difficult situations every day, and they do it because they genuinely care about our region’s dogs and about keeping the people of Tāmaki Makaurau safe.

“I thank them for their dedication and have offered my full support in addressing these issues of dog attacks and aggression in our communities.” 

You can read the Animal Management Annual Report 2022 – 2023 at Auckland Council’s website.