I live in Nautilus Dr, Papamoa Beach. This neighbourhood has serious problems caused by roaming pets. I know the main culprits in our area are cats but a number of dogs are guilty too. Specific events that have caused a lot of anger among residents include the following.
Rubbish strike.
Our rubbish is collected on Tuesday mornings. A number of residents put their rubbish out the night before and I've quite often seen bags torn open with the contents spilled out on the roadside. Our rubbish has been attacked twice recently.
I've often discovered patches on our lawn where the grass simply dies off for no apparent reason.
A lawn maintenance expert assured me this is the result of animals urinating on the grass. In our case it has to be cats as it most often occurs in the fenced area of our property inaccessible to dogs.
Of course, the affected area of the lawn has to be re-sown, which leaves a nice patch of soft bare soil, just perfect for a dog or cat to dig up and bury their business.
Because our garden, like most in coastal areas, is made up of soft sandy soil, it is a perfect place for cats to dig and deposit their faeces. When this happens right under our windows, swarms of flies are attracted to the ‘deposits' and invade the inside of the house.
This is particularly bad during warm summer months. Apart from the health hazards this poses it can be pretty soul-destroying to see one's hours of toil spent trying to make one's garden look presentable totally undone. I know a number of residents have spent a lot of money trying to deter animals from roaming onto and damaging their property.
This seems quite unjust. Why should people be faced with extra expense just because pet owners cannot or will not keep their animals in control?

I Young, Papamoa Beach.