Auckland Council secures conviction and fine in long-running case agai…

0 개 157 07/11/2025. 22:53 노영례 (222.♡.46.245)

Auckland Council has secured fresh convictions and fines totalling $103,125 against Angela Maree Beer and her company Teddy and Friends Limited renamed in We Trust Limited (trading as Pets & Pats) for repeated breaches of court orders and ongoing non-compliance with the Resource Management Act (RMA).

▲이미지 출처 : Auckland Council News

In a reserved decision released Wednesday 5 November, Judge Tepania said the offending showed a “blatant disregard for the laws and rules that apply to them” and that the defendant had made “a deliberate and calculated commercial decision not to comply” with clear court-imposed orders.

Beer was fined $51,562.50 and Teddy and Friends Limited a matching $51,562.50, after pleading guilty to three charges under the RMA, including two counts of breaching enforcement orders and one of using land in contravention of the Auckland Unitary Plan.

The charges relate to the continued operation of the Pets & Pats dog daycare and boarding facility at 165 Bawden Road, Dairy Flat, between June 2023 and April 2024, despite earlier court orders and convictions.

Judge Tepania said it was “highly careless for Ms Beer to take a “hands-off” role and that the offending had caused “tangible adverse impacts on the amenity values and wellbeing of the local community.”

The court noted that while awaiting sentencing for earlier offences, the defendants “almost immediately” breached the enforcement orders, continuing to offend on 36 occasions over a 10-month period.

“Pets & Pats was a commercial operation, more dogs meant more money,” Judge Tepania said.

“That this was a case of continued and consistent commercially motivated offending” and “an example of blatant disregard for the law.”

Repeat offending and community impacts

The latest ruling follows earlier convictions in May 2024, when the defendants were fined $77,750 for ongoing breaches of their resource consent between September 2021 and August 2022.

Those charges stemmed from unauthorised large-scale dog daycare and boarding activities that far exceeded approved limits for dog numbers, operating hours, fencing standards, and exercise areas.

Complaints from 17 different neighbours over several years prompted multiple enforcement steps by Auckland Council, including abatement notices and a May 2023 enforcement order intended to limit impacts while allowing time for the business to comply or relocate.

Despite this, Pets & Pats continued operating in breach of those orders, generating fresh community complaints about noise, traffic, and loss of amenity.

Council: deliberate flouting of the law

Auckland Council’s Team Leader Prosecutions, Paul Cowling, said the decision sends a clear message.

“This was a complex and prolonged case involving repeated non-compliance despite clear court directions and numerous complaints from the local community,” Mr Cowling said.

“Ignoring court orders and breaching the RMA is not okay. Auckland Council will pursue individuals and businesses that deliberately flout the rules and disregard their legal obligations. These laws exist to protect communities, and when they’re ignored, there are consequences.”

Cowling said the council had exhausted all other compliance options before returning to court.

“The rules around dog boarding and daycare activities in rural zones are clear, resource consent is required, whether a business is large or small. Enforcement is always the last resort, but where there’s deliberate defiance, prosecution is inevitable to protect the public from nuisance and harm.”