Push for dog registration

From City Scene, published on 16 August, 2009.

Has your dog been registered?: Register online if your details are correct.

Over 17,000 dogs (almost 86 per cent of all the dogs in Auckland city) have been registered for the 2009/2010 year - a big thank you to all those responsible dog owners.

The push is now on to get the remainder registered. Every dog in the city needs to be registered from the time that they're three months old.

Dog owners who haven't registered their pets will have received two reminders by now. It's too late to receive the special "early-bird" payment, but you can still register online if your details are correct, by post, or in person at the local council office.

"It's important that all of our city's dogs are registered," says Councillor Aaron Bhatnagar, proud dog owner and chairperson of the City Development Committee. "It frees up dog control officers so they can devote more time to dealing with problem dogs and owner education."

Dog owners can be fined $300 if their dog is unregistered, and officers can enter a private property to seize unregistered animals.

For more information, visit the Dogs section online or phone Auckland City Council.