The names owners give their dogs are a reflection of how much they love their best friend. Photo: Supplied / New Plymouth District Council
Some of the dog names registered in New Plymouth this year have been barking.
New Plymouth District Council animal services lead Kimberley Laurence says the names owners give their dogs are a reflection of how much they love their best friend.
"Who wouldn't enjoy a night in settled on the couch with a bag of corn chips and Guacamole - the family Vizla?
"Neapolitan mastiffs are usually big dogs with large appetites, but Jelly Bean was surely named for their sweet personality. And Tui Belles Roux tells me this is a German shepherd with a lot of character."
Laurence said other names that leapt out of the pack this year included Chicabella, Chico Chan, Gyeoul Winter and Bobo Baggins.
The five most popular dog names are much the same as last year: Bella (145), Poppy (133), Charlie (122), Luna (119) and Max (112).
Laurence said there were about 11,500 dogs registered in the New Plymouth district at the end of June.
"There were 309 dogs impounded in 2024/25 for wandering, attacks and other issues, down from 414 the previous 12 months."
All dogs aged three months or older must be registered.
Laurence said as the weather heats up, the animal control team had some tips for keeping your dog happy and healthy during the hot summer months:
- Never leave your dog in the car - heat stroke could come on fast, even on moderately warm days. Leave your pet at home in a cool, shady spot with fresh water
- Give your dog two bowls of fresh water at home in case one tips over.
- If leaving your dog at home, give it a variety of toys to keep it from being bored and barking. Puzzle-feeders and interactive toys were great options.
- Give your dog frozen treats in a bowl or ice-cube tray. They took longer to eat so keep your dog occupied, as well as helping it keep cool on hot days.
- Be careful transporting dogs on ute trays because the surface could get very hot and burn their feet. Give them a shaded spot or pop them into a dog crate with good ventilation.
- Exercise dogs early morning or late evening when temperatures (and pavement surfaces) were cooler, and keep walks/runs short so they don't get over-exerted in the heat. Remember: dogs could get sunburned too.
- Walk dogs on grass or dirt tracks instead of hard surfaces and be aware of how hot black-sand beaches could get - if it'd burn your bare feet, it would hurt theirs.
- Fleas and parvo were both more common in summer, so keep up with vaccinations and flea treatments.
- If your dog went missing over the summer season, check if it was in NPDC's dog pound by calling 06-759 6060.
As well as managing the local dog population, NPDC's animal control service attended incidents involving wandering stock such as cattle, sheep, horses and pigs.
The council also ran dog safety talks for community groups, provided advice to animal owners, investigated dog attacks, provided dogs for adoption through the dog pound, and enforced the Dog Control Bylaw.
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