Mark Vincent, team leader of the Council’s Animal Control Section, says owners who have not registered their dog this year should take advantage of the grace period. The penalty for not registering a dog is a $200 court fine.

As well as the grace period, the Council will waive its late payment fee for owners who register their dogs during the amnesty.

The Animal Control Section has a computerised list of about 32,500 dogs in the city. Of those, about 30,000 are registered.

Councillor Sue Wells, chairperson of the Regulatory and Consents Committee, says owners of unregistered dogs should understand that Council staff know where they are.

“We’ve invested in some excellent new technology and staff are going door to door around the city, serving notices on owners of unregistered dogs,” Cr Wells says. “If you don’t register your dog by the end of March, you’ll get caught. It’s as simple as that. And then you’ll face the cost of registration plus a $200 penalty.”

Notes:

1. The City Council’s dog registration year runs from July to June. Normally, dog owners who pay by 30 June, would pay between $37 and $70 to register a dog for a year, depending on the category and number of dogs.
2. Information about dog ownership in the city is available on the City Council website, at www.ccc.govt.nz/animals/
3. The Council’s Environmental Services Unit is the telephone contact for calls about dogs and the amnesty. Its customer centre number is 9416-643.