Auckland Council is once again being forced to crack down on irresponsible dog owners, as thousands of dog owners in Auckland continue to ignore repeated reminders to register their pets.
Despite the reminders and extra time to comply, thousands of Auckland dog owners have still failed to register their pets, forcing Auckland Council to issue thousands of infringement notices for the second year in a row.
From 1 October, 6027 infringement notices are being sent to dog owners who ignored earlier warnings, an increase of around 7.5 per cent on last year’s 5572. Despite countless chances to meet requirements, more than 29,084 dogs remain unregistered by their owners as of 1 August when council rolled over to charging a late fee.
The council sent more than 21,600 pre-infringement notices in early August, by email and post, and even extended the usual deadline by two weeks to give people extra time. Yet compliance remains stubbornly low.
Auckland Council’s Manager for Animal Management Elly Waitoa says the lack of progress is frustrating and deeply disappointing.
“Frankly, we’re frustrated. We’ve done everything we can to make it easy for people: multiple reminders, extended grace periods, and clear communication, but too many dog owners are still refusing to meet their basic responsibilities,” says Waitoa.
“It’s disappointing because registration isn’t optional, it isn’t red tape. It’s a legal requirement, and it’s how we fund critical animal management services from dealing with roaming dogs to prosecuting owners whose animals attack people or other pets.”
Auckland Council data shows a clear link between unregistered dogs and higher rates of roaming and attacks.
Last registration year was the first time Auckland Council issued bulk infringements. A total of 3372 infringements totalling more than $910,000 remains outstanding, highlighting how widespread non-compliance remains.
While over a third of the dogs who were infringed last year have since been registered, Waitoa says it’s still nowhere near enough and the overall level of compliance remains too low.
“It’s frustrating and disheartening to see the message still isn’t sinking in, that the rules don’t apply to them” Waitoa says.
“The time for leniency and excuses is over - it’s about fairness to the majority of dog owners who already do the right thing.”
Owners now have 28 days to pay their fines. If unpaid, a final reminder will be issued, giving a further 28 days to pay before the infringement is transferred to the Ministry of Justice for enforcement.
“Ignoring the rules won’t make them go away,” Waitoa says. “If you haven’t registered your dog yet, do it now or face the consequences.”
