AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

Use your mouse to register your dog

Auckland City Council is encouraging all dog owners whose details haven't changed since last year to re-register their dog online for the 2007-2008 year before 31 July.

Packs will be sent out soon asking dog owners to renew their dog's registration. Each pack contains an application form and information about the council's dog control bylaw.

To avoid late fees, all dogs over three months must be registered with the council by 31 July. As an added incentive, each owner will also go in the draw to win one of five $200 Westfield vouchers.

Auckland City Council service requests manager Jackie Wilkinson says registration fees allow the council to carry out important work and keep an accurate record of dogs in the city.

"Without these fees we wouldn't have the resources to return lost dogs to their owners and impound dogs that threaten the community's safety," Ms Wilkinson says.

Registration fees provide 60 per cent of the cost of services the council provides such as providing 24-hour dog control, educating and advising owners, resolving complaints, taking enforcement action and providing emergency assistance.

If you fail to register your dog, you could face a fine of $300 and animal control officers have the right to come onto your property and impound your dog. Unclaimed dogs may be adopted or, if this proves unsuitable, euthanised.

Ms Wilkinson says in a bid to simplify the process for dog owners, they can re-new their dogs' registration online if none of their details have changed.

"Online registration makes dog registration available anytime from anywhere and frees up dog owners so they can spend more time with their pets," Ms Wilkinson says.

Owners registering their dog for the first time can also make use of the internet to download their registration form and find more information about dogs.

Registration fees are reviewed annually and are set by council resolution. This year, to cover extra costs associated with the National Dog Database, registration fees have increased.

A reduced fee is offered to owners who have obtained a dog owner license and dogs that have been neutered.

The new registration fees are as follows:

Type/Criteria/Standard fee/Late fee/after 31 July 2007

A/Neutered dog with an owner who holds a dog owner licence
$42.00/$63.00

B/Neutered dog with an owner who does not hold a dog owner licence
$67.00/$100.50

C/Un-neutered dog with an owner who holds a dog owner licence
$88.00/$132.00

D/Un-neutered dog with an owner who does not who hold a dog owner licence
$113.30/$169.50

E/Special purpose dogs, eg guide dogs, police dogs
NIL/NIL

F/Working dogs, eg farm dogs for herding or driving livestock
$42.00/$63.00

Dogs adopted from the Redvale Shelter, SPCA, or Humane Society – for the first year of registration only
$20.00/$20.00

Owners of dogs classed as dangerous must pay 150 per cent of the registration fee.

ENDS

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