New Dog Registration Fee Model Aims to Encourage Greater Compliance

Ruapehu District Council (RDC) is implementing a new dog registration fee structure that provides greater incentive for owners to pay on time and meet other legal and good owner obligations.

This year a new ‘hunting dog’ classification is being introduced that has been developed with the Department of Conservation and applies to pig and deer hunting dogs that are used on the conservation estate.

Council is also asking all pet dog owners to provide a digital photo of their pet to assist with managing complaints and lost and wandering dogs.

RDC Regulation Manager, Steve Costelloe, said that the major impetus for the new approach was to increase the level of compliance across all categories of dog ownership.

“Council has always encouraged on time payment of yearly dog registration fees and good dog ownership with a range of financial incentives including discounts or penalties for prompt or late payment.”

“Unfortunately despite the financial incentives offered there are always a sizable number of dog owners who need to be chased-up by Council to pay their dog registration fees and fulfil their other dog owner obligations,” he said.

“The new pricing model has been designed to reward proactive, prompt payment by dog owners rather than penalties for non-compliance which the old pricing model focused on.”

Mr Costelloe noted that Council was aware that there are a significant number of unregistered dogs of all classifications in Ruapehu.

“Currently Ruapehu has 1,899 registered dog owners on our database who own 4,679 dogs.”

“It is hoped that the new dog fee registration model will provide a better balance of incentives and penalties that will encourage all dog owners to pay their registration fees on time and be fully compliant with all other owner obligations,” he said.

“Council will be posting dog registration fee invoices for 2015/16 out to owners from Monday 18 May 2015”

“Owners must pay all dog registration fees and charges before 1 August 2015 to receive their available discounts.”

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