Dog owners across the Whakatāne District are encouraged to register their dogs early and take advantage of discounted fees, with registrations now open for the 2025/26 year.
Nancy Elliott, Manager Community Regulation, says registering your dog on or before 1 August is a simple way to support community safety while saving money.
“By registering your dog, you’re not only meeting your legal responsibility under the Dog Control Act 1996, but you’re also directly supporting the important work our Animal Control Team does to keep our community safe.”
She continues, “Registering by 1 August means you’ll pay a lower fee - it’s a simple step that benefits you, your dog, and your wider community.
The 2025/26 registration fee for a de-sexed (neutered) dog or a working dog is $67, if payment is made on or before 1 August, or $97 if paid after this date. The fee for registering an entire (unneutered) dog is $97, increasing to $144 if paid after 1 August. Certified disability assistant dogs and dogs used by government agencies for specific purposes, such as law enforcement or biosecurity, are free of charge.
Impounding fees will be $69 for a first impounding; $103 for a second impounding; and $138 for a third and subsequent impounding. Additional charges apply for dog food and after-hours impoundment between 5pm-8am daily, on weekends or public holidays.
All dogs more than three months old must be registered, but for dogs under 12 months old, a proportion of the applicable fee will be charged.
Registration fee invoices have been posted to known dog owners in the district, and all dogs are legally required to be registered. Failure to do so is an offence under the Dog Control Act 1996, which carries an infringement fee of $300.
Under Section 36 of the Dog Control Act 1996, all dogs must be registered with the council each year before the dog is three months old.
"All dogs, except farm working dogs, must be micro chipped. This is a requirement under the act, which allows for easy identification and means animal control staff can easily return dogs to their rightful owners if they manage to escape without their registration tag," she says.
Council operates a 24/7 service for secure dog collection, aggressive dog complaints and roaming stock on district roads. If you would like to report something to the Animal Control Team, you can call them on 07 306 0500.
More information about animal control, including dog registration payments can be found at whakatane.govt.nz/services/animal-control/dog-registration.