Dog Registration

All dog owners must register their dog(s) with the Council in the district where the dog is kept, and all dogs must be registered by 1 July every year. If you are new to the Whakatāne area, have a new dog, or have an unregistered dog, you need to register your dog with the Council immediately or before the dog is three months old.

If your dog is registered with another Council and you move to Whakatāne, you can have your dog registration transferred at no cost.

For more information download our 'Information for Dog Owners' flyer - (PDF, 3.7 MB)

For more information download our 'Dog restricted areas' flyer - (PDF, 2.8 MB)  

Available online services

• Register a new dog by submitting a new dog registration form »
  • Note: If an Animal Control officer has told you that you must register your dog by a certain date, you should register and pay in person via Customer Services in Whakatāne or Murupara. This will ensure your dog's registration goes through in the required timeframe and will help you avoid an infringement notice.
• If your dog's status has changed (for example, your dog has died or was transferred to a new owner), submit a dog status change form »
• If your dog is registered with Whakatāne District Council, and you have received an invoice from us, you can pay your dog registration online »

Registration Fees

The full fee applies to dogs registered after 1 August 2024, which is 50 percent more than the discounted rate.

• Why should I register my dog?
• Why is it compulsory to supply my date of birth when registering my dog?
• When does the registration period start and finish each year?
• How do I register my dog?
• What do I do with the dog tag?
• Why do I pay a dog registration fee?
• What happens if I don’t register my dogs?
• If my dog dies, am I entitled to a refund?

Why should I register my dog?

Registering your dog makes it much easier for Animal Control to locate and identify dogs and owners, particularly in cases of wandering, lost or stolen dogs.

Information about your dog is kept in the local and national registers. It helps keep track of dogs whose owners have been charged by any Council and have a history of complaints against them. All dogs must be registered by 1 July of each year or before the dog is three months old. This is a legal requirement under Section 36 of the Dog Control Act 1996.

Why is it compulsory to supply my date of birth when registering my dog?

Your date of birth is required to enable us to distinguish your records from those of other people with the same name. Certainty of identification is required in the enforcement of the provisions of the Dog Control Act 1996.

When does the registration period start and finish each year?

The registration year is the same across all Councils and runs from 1 July to 30 June every year.

How do I register my dog?

Registration

If your dog is not already registered with the Council, you will need to register it with us.

• Register a new dog by submitting a new dog registration form »
• You can also register your dog(s) in person at the Whakatāne or Murupara Service Centres.

Once your dog registration is complete, you will be issued with a dog number, an owner number and an invoice for payment.

Payment

Any of the payment options below are acceptable:

• Pay your dog registration online »

• Pay using online banking to the Council's bank account:
  
  01-0434-0334411-00
  
  The information you need to enter, which will appear on our bank statement is:
   

  Particulars	Code	Reference
  Dog Owner ID	Owner's Name	Dog ID

  
  Your owner number and dog ID(s) can be found on your registration form.

Please note that you must pay for each dog registration in full; part payments are not accepted.

What do I do with the dog tag?

Your dog’s registration tag must be attached to a collar worn on the neck of the dog you registered. A replacement of registration tag is $3. 

Why do I pay a dog registration fee?

Registration fees are used to fund dog-related services, such as dealing with dog attacks, barking, straying and other complaints.Ninety percent of funding is generated from dog registration fees, with the 10 percent balance coming from general rates.

Registration fees provide funds for:

• Promoting better care and control of animals
• Responding to reports of uncontrolled dogs
• Receiving and caring for abandoned and impounded dogs
• Monitoring and enforcing the dog control bylaws and policy
• Implementing the Dog Control Act 1996
• Taking action against owners of unregistered and uncontrolled dogs
• Providing information and education to local schools and community

What happens if I don’t register my dogs?

If you fail to register your dog, you will be issued with a $300 infringement fee if you’re caught with an unregistered dog. The information will be lodged in court, and you could be fined up to $3000.

If your dog remains unregistered, you may be issued with more $300 fines, or your dog could be uplifted and impounded. If it remains unregistered, it will be disposed of by Council staff and costs charged to you.

If my dog dies, am I entitled to a refund?

Yes. If your dog dies, you will need to notify us; we will send out a refund form for you to fill out, sign and return for us to process. It's important that you do this as soon as possible, as refunds are calculated on the number of full months left in the registration, from the date the Council receives the refund form.

If your dog has died, submit a dog status change form »