Council gets tough on dog registrations

If you still haven’t yet registered your dog this year, you may be one of the more than 2300 Far North dog owners about to receive an infringement fee of $300 plus registration costs.

The new tougher approach from the council is backed by Far North dog owners and residents who identified unregistered dogs, roaming dogs, and a lack of enforcement among their top concerns during a recent customer satisfaction survey about animal management in the district. The survey, conducted between 22 August and 14 September 2025, received 665 responses, 56 per cent of which were dog owners. Survey respondents said their top six concerns were:

• Roaming dogs
• Aggressive/dangerous dogs
• Lack of enforcement
• Unregistered dogs
• Barking/nuisance
• Poor public education.

Far North District Council Group Manager – Delivery and Operations, Ruben Garcia, says that a 2024 independent review of the council’s animal management practices noted a need to promote better compliance among dog owners to improve dog control.

“We followed up that report with a public survey on animal management and the message from residents was very clear – they want roaming and aggressive dogs off our streets. To help achieve that, we are stepping up enforcement, including of dog registrations.”

Dog registration is a legal requirement under the Dog Control Act 1996, and all dogs must be registered once they reach three months of age or when they come into a new owner’s care.

The dog registration year begins on 1 July with a discounted registration period running in the Far North for two months until 31 August. Owners can register their dog throughout the year but a late registration penalty applies from 1 September and through to the end of registration year on 30 June. Registering a dog can be done online or at a council service centre all year round.

Mr Garcia says the council does its best to remind owners to register their dogs in time. Every owner with a previously registered dog is sent a renewal letter before new registrations are due. The letter includes the newsletter Kurī Karere-Doggo Digest that details the best rates, along with promotions encouraging registration. Regular registration reminders are also published on the council website and social media channels during the annual campaign to ensure dog owners have ample time to complete their registration before penalties apply.

Those who took part in the survey also suggested:

• Desexing and microchipping incentives
• Better enforcement and harsher penalties
• Education campaigns
• School/community programmes
• Payment plans.

Announcements on how the council will address those concerns will be made in the coming months.

Penalty fees are laid out in the Fees-and-Charges 2025/26 document on our website.