A fur seal found dead at McLeod Bay, Whangārei Heads, probably died from malnourishment. A McLeod Bay resident who had watched the seal for two days before she found it dead on June 25 thought it may have been attacked by a dog as it had what appeared to be puncture wounds and scratches on its body. However, the Department of Conservation said there were no visible signs of dog bites or attack. DoC said this is ‘fur seal silly season’ in Northland, when the mammals come ashore to rest, but DoC warns that they should not be approached as they could be dangerous if they feel threatened.

Dog rego confusion
Dog owners in the Far North are being asked to bin dog registration letters posted out by the district council after up to 400 dog owners were charged the late payment penalty fee instead of the standard registration fee. Some forms also included the wrong microchip number. New forms will be posted to all 6000 registered dog owners in the Far North and should arrive by the end of next week. The deadline for avoiding the late payment fee has been extended from September 1 to September 8. The standard fee for a pet dog is $55 or $83 with the late payment fee. Dangerous dogs pay more ($82.50/$124.50) while pig dogs and working dogs pay less ($43/$63).

Gangs hotline
A national Crime Stoppers campaign started this week to encourage communities to anonymously speak up about gangs. Crime Stoppers CEO Hadyn Smith says people are often too scared to get involved but sharing what they know is vital. The Gang Crime campaign will play out over street posters, animated videos and on multiple media platforms. Anyone can anonymously report information via 0800 555 111 or crimestoppers-nz.org

Vaccine mandate change
The Government has announced the end of the vaccine mandate for border workers and corrections staff will be Saturday, July 2. As of June 23, all corrections staff in prisons and 97 per cent of active border workers were fully vaccinated. Covid-19 Response Minister Ayesha Verrall said the risk Covid poses at the borders was much lower than previously due to high vaccination rates among workers and less than three per cent of passengers arriving by air have the virus. The same was said about the risk in prisons where all staff were fully vaccinated and 72 per cent of prisoners.

Kaitaia arts celebration
On July 15-16, Kaitaia’s Te Ahu Centre will host Artisan Affair: A mid-winter celebration of arts, crafts, wine, food, coffee and more, where more than 30 stalls will offer the handcrafted works of talented local creators. From 12pm-6pm Friday and 9am-4pm Saturday. Entry is free. Contact Geraldine on 02 763 63 227 for more information.