On our peninsula we have extremely high numbers of kiwi. Many of us are incredibly privileged to be living with kiwi in our back yards.

It's a huge responsibility to own a dog in a kiwi zone, Here's our suggestions for ensuring our dogs never meet a kiwi:

• 

  Know what our dogs are doing at all times.
• Never let our dogs roam uncontrolled.
• Fence an area off on our properties for our dogs that they can't get out of and kiwi can't get into.
• Use a short non-retractible lead when walking our dogs. Recently on neigbouring Kerikeri Peninsula a kiwi was killed on the roadside by a dog being walked on a retractible lead.
• When out and about on the peninsula, keep our dogs on a lead at all times—a kiwi can be caught and killed in seconds. They can shelter in rather obvious places at times.
• Take special care at night if you haven't got a fenced area. Accompany your dog on a lead if they need to go outside.
• If you lose your dog, or see a roaming dog on the peninsula:
  Call the FNDC Dog Control Officer on 24-hour Freephone 0800 920 029 or (09) 401 5200.
  Post a photo and or description and location on Northland Grapevine and Dogwatch Facebook pages
  Call us 022 467 5173 we have volunteers that may also be able to assist.
• Make sure we are familiar with the Dog Management Bylaw 2018 and the Dog Managment Policy 2018