Why register your dog?
The Dog control Act 1996 requires every dog owner to register their dog/s with their local Council. Information obtained through registration is stored on the National Dog Database as well as Council databases.
The information about your dog that is stored on a national database helps in the location and identification of owners in the case of wandering, lost or stolen dogs. It also helps keep track of dogs who have changed owners or districts or who have history of complaints or dogs that have been classified as menacing or dangerous. All dogs registered for the first time have to be microchipped and this gives us the ability to locate and identify dogs and to confirm their ownership.
In the Waikato district there are four levels of dog registration fees. To qualify for rebated fees you must meet certain conditions which are set by the council in the Waikato District Council Dog Control Policy 2007 (see below).
Dog registration information
Dogs must be registered from three months of age or as soon as they come into your possession.
To register your dog, please complete the appropriate registration form required and the pay the required fee for dog registration.
For dogs registered after 31 July the full years fee must be paid, except puppies at three months of age or dogs that have been imported into New Zealand.
Payments must be made in full and can be posted to the council or can be made in person at Service Centres. The registration year is from 1 July to 30 June every year. Part Payments are not accepted.
For information on qualifications for approved owner, selected or farm owner policies, please refer to the policy below:
Waikato District Council Dog Control Policy 2007.
Classes of registration
Waikato District Council has four classes of registration criteria:
APPROVED - applies to dog owners who have had a dog registered with Waikato District Council for the previous two years and has not been subject to any complaints, impoundings or infringements.
WORKING - dogs that are kept solely or principally for the purposes of herding or driving stock.
SELECTED - applies to a dog owner who is residing on an urban, country living or rural property that is less than 20 hectares.
GENERAL - applies not previously owned a dog in Waikato district, had a dog impounded, received an infringement fine or been prosecuted for a dog offence.
Dog Desexing Policy – neutered or spayed dogs
If your dog has been desexed during the previous registration year, with written proof from a veterinary surgeon, the registration fee for the current year will be waived and your dog will receive a free tag. This waiver will apply for one registration year only.
This is subject to the following conditions:
- The dog is NOT classified as a Dangerous Dog and required under the provisions of the Dog Control Amendment Act 2003 to be neutered or spayed; and
- Written proof is provided by a certified veterinary surgeon who has adequately described the dog involved; and
- The proof and registration form is presented to the council on or before 31 July of the current year.
Disability assist
Dogs certified by one of the following organisations as being a dog trained to assist (or as being a dog in training to assist) a person with a disability:
- Hearing Dogs for the Deaf People New Zealand
- Mobility Assistance Dog Trust
- New Zealand Epilepsy Assist Dogs Trust
- Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind
What does the registration fee go towards?
The dog registration fee helps to run the council's animal control services. Services provided include:
- Responding to complaints for example: barking, roaming, general nuisance, attacks
- Pick up and care for lost or roaming animals
- Monitoring and enforcing council's bylaws
- Implementing council's policy on dogs
- Taking action against owners of unregistered dogs and uncontrolled dogs
- National Dog Database Levies
Unpaid dog registration
Unregistered dogs can be seized from private property and/or dog owners can fined $300 for each day a dog remains unregistered.
Microchipping of dogs
Click here to view information about microchipping of dogs.
Probationary dog owner classification
A dog owner classified as probationary shall pay the general dog owner registration fee and no prompt payment rebate shall apply.
Dangerous dog classification
If you own a dog classified as a Dangerous Dog, you will be required to pay 150% of the general dog owner registration fee and no prompt payment rebate will apply.
Where a period of classification includes only part of a registration year a surcharge of five per cent of the annual registration fee is payable for each month of that year.