Frequently Asked Questions

Registration related questions

Q. When do I have to register my puppy?
A. All dogs must be registered as soon as he/she turns 12 weeks or 3 months of age.

Q. I just got an adult dog that is not registered, when do I have to register him/her?
A. You need to register your new dog as soon as you take over ownership i.e. it is in your custody.

Q. How long does my registration last?
A. The registration of a dog in New Zealand is a process that must be completed annually. Once your dog is registered in a district, you will receive a new registration reminder in June of every year.

Q. How long do I have to pay my dog registration?
A. You have until the 31st of July to pay your dog registration. After this date you will incur a penalty rate for a late payment.

Q. Do I HAVE to register my dog?
Yes is the short answer. The Dog Control Act 1996 states that all dogs over the age of 3 months or 12 weeks must be registered in the district that they are kept in.

Q. What if I just can't afford to come up with the money to pay my dog registration?
A. Ring the Council Office or come in and ask to speak to a Customer Service representative or alternatively a Compliance Officer and they will take you through your options. Don't just leave it because there will be enforcement action taken if you do nothing.

Microchipping related questions

Q. Do I have to microchip my dog?
A. Yes! All dogs newly registered after July 2006 must be microchipped, so unless your dog was born and registered before July 2006 you MUST have your dog microchipped. Rural working dogs do not need to be chipped.

Q. Where can I get my dog microchipped?
A. Any Vet Clinic will microchip your dog on appointment at a set fee.

Q. Can a Compliance Officer microchip my dog?
A. Yes. Officers are trained and experienced in microchipping dogs.

Q. What is the cost to get my dog microchipped through the Council?
A. Microchipping a dog will cost you $20. The Unit is fairly flexible about where we can chip your dog but idealy, you would ring the Unit and make an appointment to meet a Compliance Officer at the Pound Facility in Whakauru Street in Tokoroa.

Q. Where do I pay?
A. Payment can be made at one of our Council Officers in Tokoroa, Putāruru and at The Dog in Tīrau. Remember to bring a receipt with you to prove payment before your dog can be microchipped.

Power to enter property related questions

Q. Can a Compliance Officer come onto my property and take my dog and impound him/her?
A. The short answer is yes. This is provided for under the Act. This is often a sensitive topic. While all Compliance Officers are warranted to enforce this section of the Dog Control Act, and often do, we are always mindful that this is your private property and we always think long and hard about our options before deciding to enter and remove a dog(s) from a dog owners property. When we decide to go down this channel of enforcement, it is always to provide community safety, abate a nuisance to surrounding community members, the welfare of a dog, or just non-compliance. Your privacy is important to us. The legislation is detailed below.

This in the relative piece of legislation that we follow:

Section 14 - Power of entry

(1) Where any dog control officer has good cause to suspect that an offence against this Act or against any bylaw made under this Act is being committed on any land or premises, the dog control officer, and all persons he or she calls to his or her assistance, may enter at any reasonable time onto the land or premises

(a) to inspect any dog for the time being appearing to be kept on that land or premises or to inspect the conditions in which any such dog is kept; and

(b) if authorised under any other provision of this Act, to seize or take custody of any dog on the land or premises.

(2) Where any dog control officer has good cause to suspect that an offence against this Act or against any bylaw made under this Act has, at any time in the preceding 6 months, been committed in respect of any dog for the time being appearing to be kept on any land or premises, the dog control officer, and all persons he or she calls to his or her assistance, may enter at any reasonable time onto the land or premises

(a) to inspect any dog on the land or premises; and

(b) if authorised under any other provision of this Act, to seize or take custody of any dog on the land or premises.

Q. Do I have to be at home at the time?

A. No, but we will leave a seizure notice informing you of the section we have removed your dog(s) and our contact details.

Q. Why do I have to pay a seizure fee for having my dog seized from my property when it wasn't out roaming?

A. There are financial costs to every action that the Compliance Unit embarks on. Costs must be met for an officers time, fuel and vehicle costs to and from your property. Those costs must be met by you, the dog owner.

General questions

Q. What is behind the registration fee?
A. Every year Council picks up the same complaints and comments regarding dog registration fees so this FAQ explains why that little piece of plastic dog owners purchase for (see fees and charges), costs what it does.

The simple answer is: you're not just paying for the piece of plastic, that would be fair outrageous! let's have a look at the total Animal and Compliance service BEHIND the tag

Fit-for-purpose vehicles - patrols and response, fuel, maintenance, branding and equipping to ensure Officers can ensure public safety.
Heavy duty, fit-for-purpose protective uniforms for a professional look.
Trained Officers familiar with relevant legislation.
Negotiation of voluntary handovers of dogs costs, but it's better than potential expensive court costs!
Property visits for every complaint to educate, investigate and/or uplift.
Dog poo bag dispenser and free bags around the district - including maintenance and filling.
Education and support for people struggling to properly care for their dog.
Door to door programme in August looking for known registered dogs that have not yet renewed their registration.
Pound management - keeping it clean and hygienic, feeding, watering the dogs twice daily, seven days a week; rotating dogs in the exercise yards and walking the dogs.
Public, and dog owner, safety - by getting roaming and aggressive dogs off the streets. $150! That's an expensive piece of plastic or is it
Welfare - because the SPCA went into recession (now active again, which is great news), our staff field well over 100 calls a year from concerned residents about 'the dog next door'. These are investigated and education support provided. If the situation doesn't improve, the dog is uplifted and held either for seven days or longer depending on the dog's behaviour and temperament. The team put a huge amount of time and effort into animal welfare because animal cruelty is distressing for people.
Adopt a dog programme - all dogs are desexed, microchipped and vet checked so that when the dog is adopted it is unable to have (potentially unwanted) puppies, is legally microchipped and healthy. Many dogs spend longer than seven days in the pound too. Our team put time and effort into assessing dogs for suitability for rehoming. Indeed other members of staff offer to walk the dogs during their lunch breaks too.

In addition:

Officers are on call 24/7 to ensure public safety - largely around dog attacks, aggression and stock on roads.
The service isn't just about dogs. The team enforce our Bees, Poultry and Animal Bylaw which covers a range of animals, mostly around stock on roads that need to be dealt to within an hour as a matter of serious public safety. And the team enforce various other bylaws like the Public Places bylaw, do parking infringements and deal with derelict vehicles. This is all covered in the cost of the service (rates component too).

But wait there's more

Discounted Selected Owner Policy (or SOP) - apply between 1 March and 31 May. Officers will inspect your property, review your file to check history and a few other criteria. SOP is half of the standard fee. SOP is a privilege not a right.
The proportion of dangerous or menacing dogs in our district in comparison to total dogs is high. Managing dangerous dogs is essential to public safety, the safety of other dogs and their owners.
Automatic payment option - to spread payments throughout the year (means additional administrative costs).
Credit in rates account - this can be transferred to your dog account.

So you see there's much much more to the Animal and Compliance Service than meets the eye

More on these fees

Our Council has one of the highest dog registration fees in the country. We acknowledge that. There are several reasons for this and many are outlined above.
In a nutshell, we deliver a higher level of service to our community than many other councils.
Some councils for instance don't investigate door to door every complaint - they simply write letters or do nothing.
Some councils don't put time and effort into rehoming suitable dogs that have been found or handed over and no owner has claimed them - they simply wait the seven days under the law and then euthanize the dog.
Some councils don't split the service into 60% to users (ie, dog owners) and 40% on rates - they put more of the cost of the service on to rates, which means ratepayers who don't have dogs pay a larger proportion than what they do in our district.

Owning a dog

And lastly owning a dog comes with responsibilities and costs. You have to feed it, water it, exercise it, vaccinate it, provide a kennel, love, hugs, play and the odd treat. Under the law you also have to register it - this costs money - and is a dog owners' responsibility. Simply put, owning a dog comes with costs - careful consideration of all costs and responsibilities is essential before getting a dog.