All dog owners must register their dog/s with the Council in the district where the dog is kept and all dogs must be registered by the 1st July every year. If you are new to the Whakatane area, have a new dog, or have an unregistered dog you need to register your dog with the Council immediately or before the dog is three months old.
If your dog is registered at another district and you move to Whakatane you can have your dog registration transferred at no cost.
Registration Fees
The full fee applies to dogs registered after 5:00pm, 3rd August 2010, which is 50% more than the discounted rate.
Breakdown of Fees:
|
Registered before
5pm 3rd August |
Registered after 5pm
the 3rd of August |
| De-sexed dogs |
$55.00 |
$82.50 |
| Entire dogs (not de-sexed) |
$65.00 |
$97.50 |
| Certified companion, hearing or guide dogs |
$ 5.00 |
$ 5.00 |
| Dogs owned by incorporated hunt clubs |
$55.00 |
$55.00 |
Dogs classified as dangerous incur an additional 50% cost to the above fees. |
Why register your dog?
Is it compulsory as a dog owner to supply my date of birth?
When does the registration period start and finish each year?
Where do I register my dog?
What do I do with the dog tag?
Where does my registration fee go?
What happens if I don’t register my dogs?
If my dog dies am I entitled to a refund?
Registering your dog greatly strengthens the ability to locate and identify dogs, and this helps in locating and identifying owners in the case of wandering, lost or stolen dogs.
Information about your dog is kept in the local and national registers. It helps keep track of dogs whose owners have been charged by any Council, and have a history of complaints against them. All dogs must be registered by 1 July of each year or before the dog is three months old. This is a legal requirement under Section 36 of the Dog Control Act 1996.
Yes it is compulsory. Your date of birth is required to enable you to be distinguished from other people with the same name. Certainty of identification is required in the enforcement of the provisions of the Dog Control Act 1996.
The registration year is the same across all Councils and runs from 1 July to 30 June every year.
You can register your dog, including payment of the appropriate dog registration fee by:
- Physically calling into either Whakatane or Murupara Service Centres
- Posting a cheque (with enclosed Registration Information Sheet (PDF, 314Kb)) to:
Whakatane District Council
Private Bag 1002
Whakatane 3158.
Please note that you must pay for each dog registration in full, part payments are not accepted.
Your dog’s registration tag must be attached to a collar worn on the neck of the dog you registered.
Registration fees are used to fund dog related services, such as dealing with dog attacks, barking, straying and other complaints. 90% of funding is generated from dog registration fees with the 10% balance coming from general rates.
Registration Fees provide funds for:
- Promoting better care and control of animals
- Responding to reports of uncontrolled dogs
- Receiving and caring for abandoned and impounded dogs
- Monitoring and enforcing the dog control bylaws and policy
- Implementing the Dog Control Act 1996
- Taking action against owners of unregistered and uncontrolled dogs
- Providing information and education to local schools and community.
If you fail to register your dog, you will be issued with a $300 infringement fee upon being caught with an unregistered dog. The information will be lodged in court and you could be fined up to $3000.
If your dog remains unregistered, you may be issued with more $300 fines, or your dog could be uplifted and impounded. If it remains unregistered, it will be disposed of by Council staff and costs charged to you.
Yes you are. If your dog dies, you will need to notify the Council that your dog has died and we will send out a refund form for you to fill out, sign and return for us to process. It is important that you do this as soon as possible, as refunds are calculated on the number of full months left in the registration, from the date the Council receives the refund form.
IT IS MUCH CHEAPER IN THE LONG RUN TO PAY $55/$65 PER DOG THAN PAY A $300 FINE FOR EACH UNREGISTERED DOG. YOU CAN LEGALLY REGISTER 5 DOGS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE $300 FINE - IT MAKES SENSE TO REGISTER YOUR DOG/S!