The Christchurch City Council is required by law to keep a register of all dogs in the area. To ensure this is kept up to date, a reminder notice is sent out in May and June to all registered dog owners to renew their registration.
If any unregistered dog is impounded, it must then be micro-chipped. Any registered dogs impounded more than once are also required to be micro-chipped.
How to register your dog
Either:
- download a form below and post to:
Animal Control
Inspections and Enforcement Unit
Christchurch City Council
PO Box 73037
Christchurch 8154
- drop in to any Council service centre
- phone (03) 941 8999 and request a form
- update your registration details online.
Forms and fees
Dog registration update form [PDF 28KB] - print and use this form if you change address, buy or sell a previously registered dog, or in the case of the death of a dog.
Online registration update form - use this online form if you change address, buy or sell a previously registered dog, or in the case of the death of a dog.
How to microchip your dog
Dogs registered for the first time after 1 July 2006 are required by law to be micro-chipped (livestock working farm dogs are exempt). We strongly recommend that you microchip your dog anyway to ensure it is easily identified and quickly returned to you if lost.
Your veterinarian can microchip your dog for a fee.
From Wednesday 3 April, the animal shelter can microchip your dog, from 11am–noon each Wednesday. It is free of charge for any dog registered with, and resident in, the Christchurch City Council area. Dogs registered or resident outside Christchurch will not be microchipped by the Council.
Read more about the animal shelter's microchipping service [PDF 236KB].
