At Takapuna Beach, on Auckland's North Shore, residents held a heated public debate over the rights of their dogs on the beach.

Tempers flared at Auckland's Takapuna Beach as more than 50 residents met for a public debate over dog rights on the beach.

Friday morning's public meeting was organised by broadcaster Leanne Malcolm and New Zealand record producer Paul Ellis, who are both Takapuna residents and dog owners.

The meeting was in response to a Stuff article, which reported a group of residents on Auckland's North Shore were pushing Auckland Council to have more officers policing unruly dogs on Takapuna Beach.

TOM DILLANE/FAIRFAX NZ Residents from Auckland's North Shore showed up in numbers to defend the rights of their beloved canines.

"Well, these residents have caused a bit of a stir in the paper over the last few weeks talking about a potential dog ban on Takapuna Beach and saying the beach is out of control now," Leanne Malcolm said.

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"So obviously it's caused a lot of anger and discussion within the community and I just felt it seemed a little bit one-sided.

TOM DILLANE/FAIRFAX NZ Broadcaster and Takapuna resident Leanne Malcolm organised the public meeting of local dog owners at Takapuna Beach this morning.

"We were getting one perspective only. So I wanted to get a bunch of dog owners together, after meeting some people on the beach last week and they were saying they were pretty angry that they hadn't had a voice.

"They wanted to counter some of these criticisms about irresponsible dog owners on Takapuna Beach."

Despite the 45-minute heated debate, practically all residents agreed there needed to be more council dog officers policing Takapuna Beach.

TOM DILLANE/FAIRFAX NZ Emotions ran high as Auckland's North Shore residents discussed dog rights at Takapuna Beach February 3, 2017.

"Nobody today has ever seen a dog ranger at the beach, there are only five dog rangers for about a quarter of the city," Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Jan O'Connor said.

One man in the crowd said to Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member George Wood: "I've never seen one [dog officer] and I've been here for 50 years, you're living in denial, just deal with the reality."

However, in contradiction to this, Auckland Council general manager of licensing and compliance services Grant Barnes said council officers patrol Takapuna Beach "on a daily basis".

TOM DILLANE/FAIRFAX NZ Over 50 people showed up for to Takapuna Beach foreshore to debate lack of council dog officers patrolling Takapuna Beach.

"We have done so as a matter of routine over the summer months. It [Takapuna Beach] is an area that has a high degree of visitation by dog owners and beach users, and from time to time tensions do arise between the two," Barnes said.

"They are dressed in uniform that clearly identifies them as an animal management officer, and they drive highly visible and branded four-wheel-drives or vans equipped with flashing lights that are used on occasion."

One elderly member of the crowd also shared her experience of being injured by a dog on Takapuna Beach.

"I never saw the dog because it came behind me, took the legs out from under me. I ended up with a concussion, headaches for over a year and whiplash, now I'm 80."

But organiser Leanne Malcolm said the meeting was ultimately about the community engaging in a democratic process, and discussing the dog issues that had caused such a stir.

"This was our chance to have a say today. So let's just be nice. I just can't see why this can't be resolved in a peaceful normal way without so much hysteria."

Also at issue was whether the current prohibition of dogs on Takapuna Beach from 10am to 6pm, should instead start at 8am.

The group of 12 residents pushing for better dog policing met with Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Mike Cohen on January 23 to air their concerns. It was initially reported they wanted the hour restrictions for dogs on Takapuna Beach reduced by two hours.

However, at the public meeting today, members of the group David and Joel Tetro said this was only the opinion of one or two members.

An online poll on social network site Neighbourly.co.nz with over 190 votes did, however, show some support for a reduction in dog hours on Takapuna beach, with 23 per cent voting to have a new 8am cut-off.

Takapuna resident and dog owner Sandra Allen said the existing hours for dogs on Takapuna Beach were set through public consultation with council only 18 months ago, and they do not deserve revisiting.

"We all made submissions on the [dog] bylaws. They were advertised in the public domain, people had their opportunity," Allen said.

"The word that covers it all, the whole situation, is democracy."