Dog Registration

Why do I have to register my dog?

The Dog Control Act was passed into law in 1996 with the purpose of providing for the care and control of dogs. It is our responsibility to enforce the provisions of the Act and any resulting bylaws.

Council contracts the team at Environmental Northland Limited (ENL) to provide a 24 hour, round the clock dog management service.  Their offices, a customer service centre and a dog pound are located at Kioreroa Road in Whangarei.

If you keep a dog then it must be registered. Dogs are required to be registered before they reach the age of 12 weeks and after that, on or before 31 July each year.

How to register your dog

To register your dog you can:

• visit your nearest Council Service Centre at Forum North, Ruakaka or Hikurangi
• contact Environmental Northland to request information and forms to be sent to you
• print and complete the Dog Registration Form on this page
• send the completed and signed form with payment to Council.

Your dog must be registered during July each year and we customarily send out registration invoices in mid-June as a reminder and to allow people to register early.

Follow the link below to download a copy of the Dog Registration form.

Registration fees

Registration fees are used to maintain a safe and healthy environment for residents, dog owners and their pets.  Council does not profit from dog fees.

The fees structure is designed to reward good dog ownership. You can reduce your fees by neutering or spaying your dog. Fees are GST inclusive.

For details of all our fees for dog registration, follow the link below.

By law, registration fees must be used only for dog control purposes.

Registering your dog pays for:

• enforcing the Act and bylaws 
• education programmes and  campaigns for schools and community or business groups
• dog management including law enforcement, patrols and attending to complaints and incidents
• administering the animal management offices and kennels
• administering the Council overall dog management programme which includes paying for forms, maintaining the local dog data base, contributing to the national dog database and paying for and distributing registration tags and any promotional material.

What happens if I don’t register my dog?

If you do not register your dog before 1 August, a $300 infringement notice may be issued and/or your dog may be seized or impounded.   Fees for feeding and caring for your dog may also apply and your dog must be registered and microchipped prior to its release.  

You may also incur a penalty fee.  Late registrations create additional administrative costs in reminders and postage as well as staff time. The implementation of a penalty encourages dog owners to register on time.

The dog register

The government requires us to keep a database of dogs registered in the Whangarei District. Information shown on the register includes:

• name, address and date of birth of the owner of the dog.
• address at which the dog is kept.
• description of the dog eg breed, colour, distinguishing markings.
• the age and sex of the dog (including whether the dog is neutered or not).
• whether the dog is classified as a dangerous or menacing dog.
• description of any tattoo or microchip transponder that provides other permanent identification on the dog.
• the registration number of the tag or disc issued for the dog.

It is compulsory to supply your date of birth when you register your dog. This detail is required to enable you to be distinguished from anybody else with the same name.

So that the dog register can be kept up to date, please advise us of any changes about your dog as they occur. If you move to another council's area, you must notify us and the other council, in writing, of your new address within 14 days of the change. You may be liable for a fine of $100 if you do not notify within the 14 days.

Dog ownership

For further information about the responsibilites of owning a dog, follow the link below.

Responsible Dog Ownership

Contact us

Environmental Northland
Phone: +64 9 438 7513
Email: mailroom@wdc.govt.nz