Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council are set to receive government funding to help subsidise neutering for menacing dogs in the region

A total of $55,956.52 will be granted to Tauranga City Council and $44,830.43 to Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

The grants, made out of a pool of $850,000 of Government funding announced by Associate Minister for Local Government Jacqui Dean today, is part of a New Zealand-wide action plan to reduce the risk and harm of dog attacks announced in late 2016.

'Most dogs are gentle, loyal and caring animals, but we all know that some dogs give the others a bad name. It's important that we keep our kids, and our community, safe from menacing dogs,” Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller.

'The community will be safer thanks to these neutering programmes, which are designed to reduce the risk of dog attacks.

"The number of menacing dogs will reduce in the long term, as neutering is linked to decreased roaming and aggression.”

Todd says the legislation is not targeted at good, law abiding dog owners or specifically at bad dog owners.

'The legislation is targeted towards the many dog owners in our community who want to neuter their dogs but can't afford to do so.

'This subsidy will give them a hand up to do so, and our community will see the benefits.”

The campaigns are being carried out by Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and 30 other territorial authorities, often in coordination with local veterinarians and SPCAs.

Many territorial authorities are also combining this neutering offer with their own offers of subsidised microchipping and/or registration.

Other aspects of the national action plan launched last year will be progressed in 2017.

This includes a bill to require the licensing of high-risk dog owners, which is expected to be introduced later this year.