Dog licensing sets new record

Responsible dog owners: Record number of dog registrations demonstrate the real commitment that Aucklanders are making.

From City Scene, published on 29 March, 2009.

For the first time on record, over 20,000 dogs in Auckland city have been registered with the council.

"I think the record number of registrations demonstrates the real commitment that Aucklanders are making to be responsible dog owners," says Councillor Toni Millar. "Dog registration is important for we dog owners, the community and for our pets as we all share our city."

All dog owners must register their dogs from the time their pet is 3 months old because the council needs to identify the person responsible for the care and control of every dog.

Other dog owner responsibilities include cleaning up after your canine in public places (taking a container or a bag - preferably a biodegradable one - on your walks makes this easier) and following rules about keeping your dog leashed in public.

On a related note, Auckland city's most popular dog names are (in order) Jess, Max, Belle, Jack, Molly, Oscar, Sam, Ben and Charlie, with Milly and Lucy being 10th equal.