MEDIA RELEASE
31 August 2005

Auckland City continues tough stance on dog registrations

Auckland City is continuing to get tough with dog owners who have not registered their animals.

Animal control officers will be visiting properties suspected to have unregistered dogs on them and impounding the dogs from 1 September.

Registration packs were sent to dog owners in early June, and payments for 2005 to 2006 were due by 1 August 2005. Dog owners have been sent a reminder notice, with a late fee now payable in addition to the registration fee.

“It is vital that dog owners take responsibility for their dogs by following Auckland City’s dog regulations – and registration is one of the most important of those,” says Warren Adler, Auckland City’s service requests manager. “Registration ensures Auckland City has the resources to carry out important dog-related work, including educating the public about dog safety, maintaining a dog shelter, impounding dogs that threaten the community’s safety, and patrolling beaches reserves and at-risk streets. It also provides information that helps us resolve complaints quickly and reunite lost and wandering dogs with their owners.”

If an unregistered dog is impounded, the owner must pay the late registration fee and impoundment fees, before the dog will be released. They will also be liable for a $300 infringement fee for failing to register their dogs.

Additional registration forms can be requested by calling the council on (09) 379 2020, visiting an Auckland City service centre or downloading a form from www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dogs.

Payments can be made by returning this form, along with payment, to the council or by visiting any Auckland City service centre.

If you are re-registering your dog and none of your details have changed, you can now register and pay online at www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dogs.

Approximately 10 per cent of registrations this year have come via the new online service, which was offered by Auckland City for the first time.

ENDS

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