ACSL Group
Animal Management - Auckland Council
Here you can find out about:
- Annual Dog Registration
- Dog Excercise Areas (including beaches)
- Auckland Council's Dog Regulations(including their Dog Policy and Dog Bylaws )
- Print off an Auckland Council Dog Registration Form
- Frequently Asked Questions
Annual Dog Registration
It is important to register your dog every year as it
illustrates the care and commitment placed on being a
responsible dog owner.
All dogs over the age of three months MUST be registered. Each dog should be registered at the address where they spend most of their time.
If you are the owner of a dog, the registration guidelines
are:
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Only one person can be the registered owner of a dog, if you are under 16 years of age, the dog must be registered under a parent's or guardian's name.
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The registration period is from 1 July - 30 June the following year, each and every year.
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You can further reduce the registration fee if you have your dog desexed and/or by obtaining a dog owner licence.
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Your dog may be impounded and you will be issued with a $300.00 fine or be prosecuted for not registering a dog.
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A dog must wear a colour coded registration disc to show it has been registered for that year (the colours change each year).
You can download a PDF version of the 2012/2013 registration form here ...
To find out what Registration Fee you will have to pay, see Auckland Council's list of fees. Alternatively, you can contact us to check the fees.
If your dog has previously been registered with Auckland Council, you can do it ONLINE HERE. You will need you dog's reference number. If you are unsure what it is please call us on (09) 360 0750.
Reducing the cost of your Registration Fees...
There are three easy ways you can reduce your annual dog registration fee and be a responsible dog owner.
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Pay on time - every year before 31 July.
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Desex your dog
Desexing Your Dog...
You can reduce the cost of registering your dog if you have it desexed. At registration time, send a copy of the veterinary certificate with your registration form to qualify for the relevant reduced fee.
The benefits of desexing your dog are:
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desexed dogs are likely to live longer and face less risk of disease (including Cancer)
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desexed female dogs won't have a season, can't become pregnant, won't attract unwanted male dogs and are easier to manage
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desexed dogs can be less aggressive and less likely to bite
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registration fees are lower for desexed dogs
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desexed dogs are less likely to wander, reducing problems for their owners and communities
Your veterinarian will desex your dog whilst under anaesthetic. Usually you will be able to take your dog home the same day and then take it back approximately 10 days later to have the stitches removed.
The cost of desexing varies between veterinarians. In cases of financial hardship, the SPCA may perform the operation and the Humane Society may also offer assistance.
To find a vet, check the yellow pages directory or yellow pages online .
Responsible Dog Owner Licence...
To register a dog at the reduced dog owner licence rate you must present your licence when registering your dog (or write the licence number on the form if posting). The reduced rate only applies for dogs that you own in your name.
You can find out more information on the responsible dog owner licence and on our Education Work page.
Once you have your licence you do not have to renew it each year. Your current licence will apply even if you get a new dog.
Disqualification of a licence may occur after a recommendation for disqualification is made to the Auckland Council. Recommendations will occur where a dog is a control problem, the owner fails to comply with the Dog Control Act or Bylaws, or where the owner tries to register someone else's dog for the reduced fee.
Exercising
Your Dog
A review of Auckland City's Dog Control Bylaw and Dog Policy has been completed. Note that, apart from some changes to times when these areas are available to dog owners, most dog exercise areas have not changed in the development of the Policy or Bylaw.
Dog Exercise Areas | Dogs on Beaches
Don't forget to take something with you to remove faeces
when exercising your dog (i.e. a pooper scooper or plastic bag). Dog
faeces can be disposed of in the supplied dog fouling bins or any
other rubbish bin. Failing to do so may result in a $300.00
fine.
You can view the current list of Dog Exercise Areas in Auckland City here .
Dogs on Beaches...
Providing the dog is kept under control, a dog owner may exercise his or her dog without it being on a
leash in the following public places:
Note that the Dog Control Act requires a leash to be carried even in an off leash area.
- On any public place, road, footpath, berm, park or reserve on Waiheke or Rakino Island, except for those areas listed within the First and Second Schedules to this part of the bylaw.
- On any beach on the Isthmus between 4pm and 10am from the Tuesday after Easter Monday until the Friday before Labour Weekend (winter).
- On any beach on the Isthmus or Great Barrier Island (except a beach or
swimming area listed in the First Schedule) when the dog is swimming or
walking in the water of the beach during the following times:
- before 9am or after 7pm during the period between the Saturday of Labour Weekend and Easter Monday (summer);
- at any time outside the period between the Saturday of Labour Weekend and Easter Monday (winter).
- On any beach on Great Barrier Island (except on a beach or beach area where dogs are prohibited) when the dog is swimming or walking in the water.
- On any beach on Waiheke Island west of Piemelon Bay or Rocky Bay and on
Rakino Island except during the following prohibited periods:
- The Saturday of Labour Weekend to December 23 inclusive, 10am to 4pm;
- December 24 to February 1 inclusive, 10am to 6pm;and
- February 2 to the end of Easter Monday inclusive, 10am to 4pm.
Under Local Government (Auckland City) Boundary Alteration Notice 2005, the boundaries of Auckland City have been generally extended seaward down to the mean low water mark.
The extension will allow Council to better manage the foreshore area between low and high tide, so that it can prevent littering and control access to beaches by dogs, horses, vehicles and watercraft.
Dog Control Regulations
Auckland City's Consolidated Bylaw , Part 12 Dog Control, sets out the requirements for the control of dogs in public places, requirements to remove dog faeces from public places, and places limitations on the number of dogs that can be kept in different parts of Auckland City.
The full Bylaw is available here .
Auckland City's Dog Policy sets out regulations around owning dogs and taking them out in public.
Changes to Auckland City's Dog Policy, which sets out regulations around owning dogs and taking them out in public, were introduced on Thursday 1 September 2004.
The changes were made under the Dog Control Amendment Act 2003 which required Councils to review their Dog Policies and make any necessary amendments to Bylaws.
The full Policy is available here .
Frequently Asked Questions...
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My dog is missing
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How do I register my dog?
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I've lost my registration disc , what should I do?
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What do I do if I move house?
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Do I need to register a special purpose or working dog?
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What happens if I have more than two dogs?
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Aren't there new dog control regulations ?
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Can I exercise my dog off leash in public?
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Can my dog roam free on my own property?
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Do I need to have a microchip placed in my dog?
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Where can I exercise my dog?
If your dog is missing, you should check in the first instance with Animal Control Services to find out if it has been impounded on 360 0750
Dogs are impounded when found roaming loose in a public place, when they have wandered onto private property or are deemed to be a nuisance by constant barking.
If it hasn't been impounded, then it may have been hurt. Injured dogs are taken to the SPCA in Mangere.
If your dog has been previously registered with Council, then you should receive a reminder renewal notice in mid June each year. If you have not received a renewal notice, or if you are registering a dog for the first time, you will need to complete a Dog Registration Form. These can be obtained from Auckland Council by calling (09) 301 0101
I'VE LOST MY REGISTRATION DISC, WHAT DO I DO?
If you have lost your dog's registration disc, you can get a replacement for a small fee. The replacement disc will have a new registration number. Call Auckland Council on (09) 301 0101 for further details.
WHAT DO I DO IF I MOVE HOUSE?
If you or your dog move, you will need to tell the Auckland Council within six weeks.
DO I NEED TO REGISTER A SPECIAL PURPOSE OR WORKING DOG?
All dogs over the age of 3 months need to be registered for the current year. However, there is a reduced fee for special purpose dogs and working dogs.
Special purpose dogs include:
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guide dogs
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hearing dogs
Working dogs are dogs that are kept solely or predominantly for work purpose and include:
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police dogs
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custom dogs
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conservation dogs
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dogs kept solely or principally for the purposes of herding or driving stock.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAVE MORE THAN TWO DOGS?
All dogs need to be registered and you will need a permit if you have more than two dogs. Contact Animal Control Services for an application form to be sent to you.
AREN'T THERE NEW DOG CONTROL REGULATIONS?
Yes there are. These came into force with the Dog Control Amendment Act 203 and took effect from 1 December 2003. The new regulations were developed to strengthen existing dog control legislation and improve public safety through the use of stronger deterrents, prevenative measures, education and increased powers of enforcement. Check our our Links page for a direct link to the Department of Internal Affairs website.
CAN I EXERCISE MY DOG OFF LEASH IN PUBLIC?
In certain areas, you can. Please check here for areas that you can exercise your dog off leash. Remember, if you're taking your dog out in public, you are required to use or carry a leash at all times.
CAN MY DOG ROAM FREE ON MY OWN PROPERTY?
From 1 June 2004, you will need to ensure that your dog is either under the direct control of a person, or is confined in such a manner that it cannot freely leave the property. You will also need to ensure that access to your front door remains free. Your dog must not be able to stop anyone from approaching your front door. If this requirement is not met the dog may be impounded.
DO I NEED TO HAVE A MICROCHIP PLACED IN MY DOG?
All dogs first registered on or after 1 July 2006 are required to be microchipped. Those dogs that are classified as dangerous or menacing since 1 December 2003 are also be required to be microchipped after 1 July 2006.
