Fri 19 July.
OWNERS OF UNREGISTERED DOG URGED TO AVOID INFRINGEMENTS
Council is urging dog owners who have still not registered their dog to avoid enforcement action and register their dog before the end of July.
Technically all dogs should have been registered by the end of June; however, Council always gives dog owners until the end of July to register their dogs before any penalties are imposed.
Team Leader Compliance, Brenda Ralph, said that Council still had 612 owners on its database that have still not yet re-registered their dogs at this stage.
These owners have 1,372 dogs between them that need to be registered.
From the 1st of August Council's Compliance Officers will start following-up with dog owners with unregistered dogs including undertaking site visits to their residence if required, she said.
Dog owners are responsible for ensuring that they keep council advised of any changes to their dog ownership status such as if a dog has died, they get a new dog, the dog has a new home, or they have changed address, etc.
Any dog owner with an unregistered dog is liable to have their dog impounded and would be liable for additional fees and costs on top of the yearly registration fee.
These could include any impounding fees and a late penalty fee with an additional infringement of $300 per dog if the dog remains unregistered.
Mrs Ralph noted that every council in New Zealand works to the same timetable for dog registrations which is the same year-after-year so any long term dog owner is well aware of the registration requirements.
It is disappointing to still have so many dogs still unregistered at this stage despite writing to each and every dog owner on the database and advertising the registration period widely.
Council is somewhat surprised at this as there are significant financial benefits for dog owners who pay on time and meet other legal and good dog owner obligations, she said.
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