Tauranga's dog pound to become bigger

Tauranga's dog pound is getting a $350,000 extension this year, doubling the number of modern, spacious pens to 40.

The decision by the council coincides with the city's dog population passing 10,000 - or an average of nearly one dog to every four households.

Council animal control manager Brent Lincoln said they were future proofing the pound because the impounding of dogs was tracking at the same rate as the rapid growth in dog numbers.

Once construction was finished, the old section of the pound in Hewletts Rd would be used only for overflow.

The council was planning to spend an additional $200,000 in 2014-15 to convert the old substandard pens, bringing the total number of pens to 50.

Mr Lincoln said the bigger, newer pens were better for the dogs' safety and hygiene.