Dog registrations for the 2022/23 year kicks off this week and from this year Kāpiti dogs will be sporting fetching new re-usable tags.

All dogs must be registered by 5pm, 1 August 2022 to avoid late penalties. Owners registering dogs for the first time will need to visit one of the Kāpiti Coast District Council’s service centres to get their pets signed up, while those who have registered before can do so again and pay online. Invoices will be sent to dog owners in the coming days.

Team Leader Public Spaces & Animal Management Tim Sharpe says from this year plastic dog registration tags are being replaced by new, anodised aluminium tags designed to last a dog’s lifetime.

“We have heard from many in the community that it was time for a better, more sustainable tag option and we agree this is a good step to take,” Mr Sharpe says.

“The Dog Control Act requires all dogs to be registered and wear a collar with a current registration label or disc attached, so a tagless future is not likely any time soon.

“We think the new tags, from Kiwi company Tag King, are a great option – they’re lightweight, attractive and suitable for dogs of all sizes. Best of all you won’t have to replace them every year, just register your dog and go for it.”

Mr Sharpe says over 8000 dogs were registered to more than 6000 owners last year.

“We have a large and growing dog population in Kāpiti and it is really important they are all registered.

“It’s not only a legal requirement, having a record of what dogs live in the district and who owns them helps make sure both animals and humans are kept safe. Dogs are a big responsibility and can sometimes get into trouble so it is important that when issues do arise we can act quickly and efficiently to resolve them.

“Dog registration fees contribute to this important work and helps fund things like a seven-day animal management service, 24-hour emergency response service for urgent dog control complaints and when we do need to look after a dog for a while they can stay at our recently upgraded animal shelter.”

Dog owners are required by law to register any dog, over three months of age, by 5pm 1 August 2022. Get your dog registered on time and gone in the draw to win one of five free registrations.

Visit www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/dog-registrations for more information.

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