Registering your dog

The Council has a special category of dog owner called "Selected Owner". Selected owner status is a way of acknowledging and rewarding responsible dog owners. If you qualify as a selected owner, you pay a significantly reduced registration fee (refer to our Fees and Charges). For more information please go to our Selected Owner Status page.

Dogs over 3 months are required to be microchipped in the following circumstances:

• All dogs first registered on or after 1 July 2006 (except working dogs as defined in section 36A (2A) of the Act)
• All dogs classified as dangerous or menacing within one month after receipt of notice of the classification.
• All dogs impounded and released by the local authority for the second time
• Unregistered dogs that are impounded and released

A vet or a trained microchip inserter must carry out any microchipping of a dog. The owner must provide verification that the dog has been microchipped at the time of registration to Waitaki District Council. Talk with your vet about available microchip options.

Selected Owners only may apply for a permit to accommodate more than three dogs over the age of three months on an urban residential zoned property, or a rural residential property with equal to or less than a 2,500m2 site.

Permits are also required for more than three working dogs over the age of three months on an urban residential zoned property (as defined in the Waitaki District Plan), or a rural-residential property equal to or less than a 2,500m2 site .

Note: NZKC registered breeders or any approved property used for the business of dog boarding kennels is exempt but confirmation as a breeder or kennel owner must be established. All existing dog owners with more than three dogs will be granted an existing rights status (and will not need to apply for a permit) until such time as there is a need to register new dogs to the property.

To download an application - Permit for more than 3 dogs(PDF, 171KB)

Council will issue an infringement notice to a person keeping an unregistered dog. The infringement fee for this offence is fixed at $300 and payment of this does not include the registration fee - ie the dog must still be registered. If you receive an infringement notice please read the conditions on reverse of the notice carefully.

Waitaki District Council does not accept part-payments for infringement notices and payment of the fee is required in full.

Unregistered dogs may also be seized. As well as the registration fee, seizure fees will be applied.

Where a fee for the registration of a dog has been paid, and the dog dies before the commencement of or during the registration year, Council will refund upon written request (including the registration tag or a letter from a vet), a proportion of the fee paid.

This is calculated on the complete months yet to run in the registration year after the date of the application for the refund to encourage timely, although not necessarily immediate, notification of the death to Council.

Under the Dog Control Act 1996, Council is required to keep a register of dogs registered with it information required to be shown on the register is:

• Name, address and date of birth of the owner of the dog.
• Physical address of where the dog is kept.
• Description of the dog eg: Breed, colour.
• The age and sex of the dog.
• The registration number of the collar, tag or disc issued for the dog.

Whenever any of the details on the Council's dog register are changed, the dog's owner must advise the Council as soon as possible (within 14 days). Details that would need to be changed on the register are:

• Change of owner of a dog.
• Change of address of a dog (either same owner or new owner).
• Change of postal address of dog owner.
• Change of name of current owner.
• Any correction of incorrect details.
• Where your dog has died, or gone missing.

Monitoring and enforcing the Dog Control Act 199 6 and ensuring compliance with Dog Control bylaws and policies. Promoting better care and control of the nearly 5600 dogs in Waitaki district by:

• Providing a service to the community
• Encouraging responsible dog ownership
• Protecting dog owner's rights to own a dog by dealing with dog related problems
• Providing dog owners with education on dealing with dog related problems
• Re-homing unwanted or unclaimed dogs
• Promoting community safety
• Responding to complaints about dogs
• Maintaining National Dog Database records:
  This enables a dog to be linked to its owner, so if it is lost or stolen, both dog and owner can be identified and reunited. A microchip can also clearly identify a dog which has been aggressive and classified as dangerous or menacing. This is especially important as it renders owners unable to disguise their dog's identity.

As a dog owner you are responsible for ensuring your dog is confined within your property and under control at all times. When out walking your dog you must carry a leash and a suitable receptacle to pick up dog faeces.

Dog owners should also familiarise themselves with on-leash and off leash areas for dog walking.

We encourage our community to stay safe, so if you have any concerns about a dog wandering, causing a nuisance or a risk to public safety, please call us to report your concerns. Animal control will investigate the issue and the information you provide will be kept confidential.