Decontamination crews respond to hazardous dog at Auckland pound

Two staff members of an animal shelter have been treated by emergency medical staff after being exposed to an as-yet-unknown hazardous chemical that appears to have come from a dog.

Neighbours told Stuff they could see several fire engines and an ambulance at Auckland Council’s Manukau Animal Shelter on McLaughlins Road in Wiri on Tuesday morning.

Council’s director of regulatory services, Craig Hobbs, said two animal management officers collected a “roaming dog” from Puhinui Road in Papatoetoe around 9am.

“While travelling with the dog back to the shelter, the officers starting showing signs of an allergic reaction. It appears the officers were contaminated by an unknown substance associated with the dog.”

The dog, however, has not experienced any adverse affects, Hobbs said. It remains safely at the shelter.

“Staff handling the dog are taking appropriate precautions,” he said.

Hazmat crews from Fire and Emergency New Zealand have not yet determined what the substance was that affected a worker.

“At the moment it’s just an unknown substance, and we are in the process of finding out what it might be,” a FENZ spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for police said they had responded to a “chemical-related incident” around 9.45am on Tuesday.

St John said ambulance staff treated two patients, one in a “moderate” and one in a “minor” condition.