Responsible dog owner

Responsible Dog Owner Policy

The Council is introducing a responsible dog ownership policy to recognise responsible dog owners and entitle them to a reduced registration fee.

If you meet all the following criteria you are eligible for the responsible dog owner fee category:

• You have been a registered dog owner in the Hurunui district for at least two years;
• You have paid all registration fees on time for the last two years;
• Your dogs live at a property that:
  • Is suitably fenced and gated to contain the dog, and
  • Allows people dog-free access to your dwelling
• All of your dogs are microchipped and the details provided to Council; Note: Dogs registered as working dogs under the Dog Control Act 1996 and wearing a current registration label or disc are not required to be microchipped.

You also must not:

• Own a dog classified as dangerous
• Have had a dog found roaming in the last two years
• Have been issued with a warning notice or infringement notice for a dog-related offence in the last two years; or
• Been prosecuted for a dog-related offence in the last seven years

Full details are contained in the Dog Control Policy.

The Responsible Dog Owner policy begins from the 2020-21 registration year. Registration letters for all dog owners are being sent out around the beginning of July. This year we have identified owners who meet the responsible dog owner criteria from our records and applied the new fees to their dog registration.

If you think that you meet the criteria above but have not had the responsible dog owner fees applied to your dog registration please contact us at dogs@hurunui.govt.nz