Registration fees help keep dogs safe and support their care while also aiding public safety. Your dog registration fee helps us maintain our dog database, investigate dog complaints and provide dog safety education for children.

What your dog registration fee funds

  • Free dog micro-chipping for every dog registered and resident in the city. This microchip number is updated with other dog registration details to the National Dog Database (NDD) and serves a number of purposes, e.g. to assist in the recovery of lost dogs, to provide accurate information about a dog and it's owner, and to provide a national record of all known dogs so that dogs moving from one district to another, or dogs that may have been classified by a council can be kept track of.
  • A dog registration database and information systems that are a legal requirement of all Councils, and record details of every known dog and owner within the city. This database also enables the re-registration of dogs each year and production of reminder notices for owners. All dog and owner details held on the Council's dog register are uploaded to the National Dog Database (NDD).
  • Free education programmes, including:
    • DogSmart School Programme,  an educational programme used to advise school children on how to avoid and prevent dog attacks
    • adult education courses based on bite prevention in the workplace
    • provision of information around dog care, welfare and responsibilities of dog owners
    • Reading to dogs programme(external link), an exciting venture that helps children improve their reading ability by reading to dogs in a non-judgmental situation.
  • Dog shelter facilities for the care, welfare and return of lost dogs.
  • In conjunction with the Council Parks department, new dog park development and the review of the existing dog parks and exercise areas, throughout the city.
  • Investigation, monitoring and resolution of dog nuisance complaints and assisting communities to be safe from dog-related risks, e.g. from dangerous and aggressive dogs, and also the investigation and monitoring of nuisance dog issues like wandering and barking.
  • Patrols and enforcement of dog law and bylaw in public places to assist with safety around prohibited beach and wildlife areas.