Dog Owner Obligations
Ngā Haepapa a te Kaitiaki Kurī
As a dog owner, you have a number of responsibilities. You must:
- Register your dog.
- Keep your dog under control at all times.
- Keep them on a leash in urban areas.
- Carry a leash when you are in rural areas.
- Ensure your dog receives proper care, food, water, shelter and exercise.
- Clean up after your dog in public areas. Failure to do so could result in a $300 infringement notice.
- Make sure your dog does not injure, endanger, intimidate or distress anyone.
- Accept liability for any damage your dog does.
- Muzzle your dog in public if it is known to be aggressive.
- Comply with the Council’s bylaws.
Microchipping
A microchip carries a number unique to your dog that works in a similar way to a supermarket barcode. It is a transponder that responds to a scanner, it is not a transmitter and has no power source. It is about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the animal’s skin between the shoulder blades. This is a simple procedure just like a vaccination.
Which dogs have to be microchipped?
- All dogs registered for the first time must be microchipped within 2 months of registration (except working farm dogs).
- A dog that has been classified as dangerous or menacing must be microchipped within 2 months of being classified. This is a legal requirement of the Dog Control Act 1996.
- Dogs that are unregistered and get impounded will be microchipped
- Dogs that are registered and get impounded twice will be microchipped
What are the benefits of microchipping?
If your dog is lost, stolen, or has escaped and strayed, it can easily be identified by scanning the microchip.
Our animal services staff can microchip your dog – contact us to make an appointment.
