Last day to pay dog licence is Friday.

If you own a dog over three months old in the Gisborne District it must be registered. Annual licences were sent out to all dog owners at the beginning of the month and these must be paid by Friday – 29 July 2011 - to get the $20 discount. On payment of the invoice new tags will be issued which are valid for 12 months.

It costs $73.50 to register your family pet. Working dogs are $42.50. Invoices can be paid at Council’s Customer Service in Fitzherbert Street or Te Puia Springs or by post. The owners of any dog not registered by the end of August faces a $300 fine.

“We always seem to get a lot of people who pay their dog licence at the last minute, says regulatory services manager Sarwan Kumar. “Only 55% of the 11,000 licences that are due have been paid. We are expecting a big influx this week and will have extra staff on to cope. Chances are though if you leave it till Friday there will be a queue.”

If your dog is over three months not already registered you can download a dog registration form from Council’s website or pick one up from Customer Service.

Once registered, your dog will receive a dog tag. All dogs except working farm dogs must be microchipped within two months. The microchip carries a number unique to your dog. It is like a supermarket bar-code which can be scanned. . The microchip is the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades. When your dog is microchipped it is much more likely you will get your dog back if it is lost, picked up by animal controller or is injured and taken to the vet.

ENDS

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